Erastus Akingbola: Banker in exile speaks out
Euromoney, is part of the Delinian Group, Delinian Limited, 4 Bouverie Street, London, EC4Y 8AX, Registered in England & Wales, Company number 00954730
Copyright © Delinian Limited and its affiliated companies 2024
Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement
BANKING

Erastus Akingbola: Banker in exile speaks out

Erastus Akingbola was group managing director of Intercontinental Bank until August 14 2009, when he was deposed by order of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Akingbola had founded the bank 20 years earlier and taken it into the top five of Nigerian banks. The bank was the country’s first to acquire more than $1 billion of capital. Intercontinental has 400,000 shareholders and 12,000 staff.

Nigeria’s banking coup


Erastus Akingbola was group managing director of Intercontinental Bank until August 14 2009

Akingbola was a doyen of the banking system, a chairman of the Lagos Stock Exchange and many other industry bodies. He says he got advance notice of the actions of the central bank and was out of the country when the Economic Financial Crimes Commission swooped on the bankers and put them behind bars. By this point, Akingbola had decamped to London, where he intends to stay until he can return to the country in safety. He spoke to Euromoney at a hotel in central London.

erste-q.gif
Could you describe your view of the actions of the Central Bank of Nigeria in seizing your bank?

Erastus Akingbola was group managing director of Intercontinental Bank until August 14 2009

The action of the central bank was well intended, but the ramifications were not well thought through. They did not take a proper account of unintended consequences.

For any discerning person it smells for the following reasons. First, the process of the investigation was abused. Second, the actions defaced the appearance of Nigerian banking. Third, the central bank has put the bank up for sale without doing what the governor said he intended to do – and that was cleaning up the bank.


Gift this article