Fidelity Bank appoints two new directors

The Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Mr Henry Ikem Obih, as an Independent Non-Executive Director effective from September 21, 2020.

It has also named Dr. Kenneth Onyewuchi Opara as an Executive Director. The appointments have been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Dr. Opara will assume office as the Executive Director in charge of the Lagos & South West Directorate on January 1, 2021, taking over leadership of the Directorate from Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe who was recently appointed Managing Director/CEO – Designate, succeeding Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo who retires as Managing Director/CEO on December 31, 2020, upon the completion of his contract tenure in line with the internal policies of the bank.

“Both appointments are in furtherance of our positioning for the next growth phase.  We welcome Henry and Ken to the Board and believe they will make significant contributions that will sustain the performance trajectory of the Bank in line with our strategic intent” said Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi, Chairman, Board of Directors, Fidelity Bank Plc.

Obih was the Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer (GED/COO), Downstream, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) until his retirement in 2019 and was subsequently appointed to the Board of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) in July 2020.

He joins the Board of Fidelity Bank Plc with significant cross-functional work experience and exposure spanning over three decades, across different continents including Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. He has extensive experience in project and performance management, manufacturing and operations management, sales and marketing, strategy and business planning/analysis, business development/re-engineering, general management, corporate governance and risk management.

Prior to joining NNPC as GED/COO in 2016, Mr Obih had a stellar 22-year career at Mobil Oil Nigeria (ExxonMobil Nigeria Downstream) and held several high-profile positions in the company including being Executive Director, Retail and Executive Director, Operations, Customer Service and Logistics.

His recent leadership roles include board positions at Nigeria Gas Marketing Company Limited, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Limited, NNPC Retail Limited, NIDAS Marine Limited (a subsidiary of NNPC in joint venture with Daewoo Industries South Korea), NIKORMA Limited (a subsidiary of NNPC in joint venture with Hyundai Heavy Industries South Korea) and Duke Oil Company Inc.