History will be made on Friday, October 31, 2014, with the inauguration of the Board of the South East Nigeria Development Fund (SENDEF).
Headed by Pascal G Dozie, founding chairman of Diamond Bank who is also the chairman of MTN Nigeria, SENDEF is “conceptualised as a formidable independent private sector fund-driven investment institution dedicated to the strategic economic development of the South East geopolitical zone”, according to Engr. Chris Okoye, chairman of the steering board of the South East Nigeria Economic Commission (SENEC), which is coordinating the emergence of the fund.
He continued: “SENDEF will act as an institutionalized tool to mobilize investment resources from diverse stakeholders on a sustainable basis.”
Other members of the SENDEF board are Professor (Monsignor) Obiora Ike, Chairman of Umuchinerem Micro Finance Bank/CIDJAP in Enugu; the immediate past Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji; Dr A B C Orjiako, chairman of Seplat, Nigeria’s largest independent oil and gas producer; EmekaEmuwa, chief executive of Union Bank plc; Arnold Ekpe, former managing director of Ecobank International; Alex Otti, Group managing director of Diamond Bank; Professor Herbert Orji, an influential financial consultant, former bank chief executive and currently the Chairman of NBC, Mike Chukwu, former chief executive of both Guardian Express Bank and Skye Bank, and Chief UmeadiNonsoEkwunugo, a chartered accountant and lawyer.
Dr (Mrs) NgoziUgo, a globally respected law professor in the United States who is with the United Nations system will serve as a member/secretary while Dr Friday Ohuche, a former economist with the International Monetary Fund who is now with the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Engr. Chris Okoye, an accomplished and foremost engineer andhas served on the numerous boards of public and private institutions will be ex- officio members.
The board will be inaugurated at 1pm at Nike Lake Hotel in Enugu.
