KEN OPARA

Dr. Kenneth Opara assumed office as the Executive Director in charge of the Lagos & South West Directorate on January 1, 2021. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Opara served as General Manager/Regional Bank Head, Ikeja. He has over 29 years’ experience in banking and has worked at various financial institutions including legacy Omega Bank Plc, Equatorial Trust Bank Plc and Manny Bank Plc, before joining Fidelity Bank Plc in 2006, following its merger with Manny Bank Plc.

He has core-banking experience in diverse areas of banking including Credit, Treasury, Retail, Consumer and Commercial Banking, International Operations and Corporate Banking and has held senior management positions in the industry including Divisional Head, Managed SMEs, Multilateral Agencies & Trade Missions; Division Head, SMEs, Electronic & Consumer Banking; Head, Private & Consumer Banking, Head, Affinity Banking & Corporate Consumer Banking; and Head Consumer & Commercial Banking.

Dr. Opara has attended executive management programs at Harvard Business School, Kellogg School of Management, Wharton, INSEAD and Lagos Business School amongst others. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and an active member of the Institute’s Governing Council, where he currently serves as 1st Vice President, having previously served as 2nd Vice President and National Treasurer of the Institute.

He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Finance and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Ph.D. in Credit Management from International University of Panama.