Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
Nigeria’s first Professor of Capital Market, Uche Uwaleke, has been appointed the Commissioner for Finance by the Imo State Governor, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.
It was gathered that his appointment, ‘which is purely on merit’, was informed by Ihedioha’s desire to run a government anchored on transparency and fiscal discipline.
Uwaleke, who has already been screened to assume duties, is not only going to preside over the finance portfolio of the state, but is to coordinate the state economic affairs, and will bring to bear several years of solid experience in financial management.
According to the state, it is a case of a round peg in a round hole. The professor is the immediate past Head of Banking and Finance Department of the Nasarawa State University and currently the Chief Economist/Director of Research at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The state government described him as thorough-bred professional, he is a Chartered Stockbroker (ACS), a Chartered Banker (ACIB) and a Chartered Accountant (FCA), all by examination.
He is also an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (ACTI), the Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ACMR) and a full member of the Nigerian Economic Society (MNES).
As a multi-disciplinary scholar, Uwaleke holds a B.Sc degree in Accounting; M.Sc in Economics (specialising in Finance) and a Ph.D in Finance with over 20 years of lecturing engagements in reputable higher institutions in Nigeria.
Prior to joining the Nasarawa State University as a pioneer staff in the Faculty of Administration, he had worked as an Investment Banker with Lombard Assets Management Limited as the Head of Research.
Uwaleke was at one time, the chief examiner for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria examination (Business and Finance paper) and an external examiner of the University of Jos and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He has participated in the National Universities Commission (NUC), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) accreditation teams for accounting, finance and banking programmes of universities and training institutes.
Uwaleke is the Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Nigerian Journal of Securities Markets, a publication of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as a reviewer for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ‘Bullion’ publication.
He was also a member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Branch Advisory Committee and a non-executive director in Peace Capital Market Limited.
Uwaleke is the president of the Association of Capital Market Academics of Nigeria and the chairman of the Abuja branch of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
He has consulted for a lot of local and international organisations, including the CBN, SEC, the German Technical Cooperation and the Korea Development Institute.
The commissioner of finance has also authored and co-authored 10 books in Finance (mostly in the area of capital markets) with over 50 articles in referred academic journals.
Uwaleke, however, maintains regular columns in the Punch and Business Day Newspapers and also features in finance and economy programmes of national radio and television stations.
