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QUESTIONNAIRE
NIGERIA’S TOP 50 PROFESSIONALS Being excerpts of an interview granted by the MD/CE, NEXIM, Mr. Roberts Ungwaga Orya to Thisday Newspaper. It appeared in the Saturday, 14th 2009 edition of the ThisDay Newspaper.
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1) What prompted your desire to be in your chosen profession?
Providence and destiny 2) In what ways has Nexim Bank contributed to Nigeria’s Socio – Economic development?
NEXIM has contributed in many ways to Nigeria’s socio – economic development, especially in various sectoral funding interventions through value added production and stimulation of non – oil, non-traditional exports. Just to mention a few examples, NEXIM has over the years facilitated increase in value added cocoa processing by over 100,000 tonnes per annum with over US$70 million funding intervention for acquisition of new processing plants and machinery. In the industrial fishing / trawling, Rubber and Oilseed processing NEXIM has respectively disbursed US$42m, US$13m and US$37m for new trawlers, processing plants and machineries.
3) What are the challenges your bank is facing?
The current challenges of NEXIM are twofold, external and internal. Externally, NEXIM, as an Export Credit Agency that operates largely in the external sector of the Nigerian economy is affected by the effect of global financial crises that has shrunk global economies and affected export demand for goods and services. Internally, there are challenges of high volume of non-performing loans and inadequate capitalization of NEXIM, which have both strained free cash flows for funding activities of new projects.
4) What are your views on the reforms in the banking sector? Do you think it will be a lasting panacea to the industry?
The reform is a welcome idea that will no doubt instill confidence in the Nigerian banking sector and also entrench good corporate governance principles, which could be a panacea for solving the ills in the industry and ensuring that the financial sector act as the catalyst for sustainable economic growth and development.
5) Can you describe the kind of fulfillment you get in the profession? If you were not in the profession which other one would you have loved to be?
The kind of fulfillment I get in the banking profession is that of progressive elevation and recognition that has come with the various appointments. If I had not been a banker, I would have loved to be a teacher, because I love reading and knowledge sharing.
6) How would you rate the Nigerian professional viz-a-viz his counterparts abroad?
High and comparable.
7) Do you think Nigeria should still be a third world country in spite of her huge number of professionals some of who are world renowned and contributing immensely to other countries development?
Nigeria should be in the top bracket of the emerging economies that is next to the industrialized G20 nations on the basis of natural resource endowment, industry of the people and the high number of professionals in diversified fields.
8) What is your recipe for the country’s rapid development? In my humble opinion, I would like to think that with the high spirit of entrepreneurship, talents and diversified natural resources, the recipe for the country’s development is the tackling of basic infrastructure, especially power and entrenching the rule of law in all spheres of the society, which is what the present administration of President Yar’Adua is focusing on. I am really convinced that the country is on the right track. 9) There are presently countless number of professionals that are jobless. How do you think they can engage themselves? Through entrepreneurship development, review of investment start up cost and setting up of venture capital windows that can stimulate new investments. Also, establishment of functional industrial parks at different states could trigger industrialization and attract investment capital that will create employment opportunities for the professionals. 10) What would you say has been your achievements in this bank? Well we have barely settled down. But within the short 4 months and modestly speaking, I will think my colleague, the Executive Director, Bashir Wali and I have been able to motivate staff to higher sense of duty and professionalism in their attitude to work. Also, we have put in place a framework for an aggressive debt recovery drive that is beginning to yield dividend. 11) What advice do you have for upcoming professionals? My advice for upcoming professionals is that they imbibe a character that manifest integrity, discipline and discretion in the discharge of assigned responsibilities and in the holding of an entrusted office / position reposed on them. |
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