Fidelity Bank Appoints Henry Ikem Obih and Kenneth Onyewuchi Opara into its Board of Directors

Fidelity Bank PLC has announced the appointment of Kenneth Onyewuchi Opara and Henry Ikem Obih as Executive Director and Independent Non-Executive Director, respectively.

While the appointment of Henry Ikem Obih took effect on September 21st, 2020, the tier-1 bank said Kenneth Onywuchi Opara’s appointment will become effective on the on the 1st of January 2021.

According to a statement that was signed by Fidelity Bank’s Company Secretary, as seen by Business Elites Africa, the appointments have already been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

“Fidelity Bank Plc hereby notifies The Nigerian Stock Exchange and the General Public of the appointment of Engr. Henry Ikem Obih as an Independent Non-Executive Director and Dr. Kenneth Onyewuchi Opara as an Executive Director, of the Bank with effect from September 21, 2020 and January 1, 2021 respectively. Both appointments have been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The Board of Fidelity Bank Plc is pleased with the appointments and looks forward to working with
both Directors to achieve the Bank’s strategic objectives in the next phase of its growth trajectory,” part of the statement said.

About Engr. Henry Ikem Obih

Until his retirement from active service in 2019, Engr. Henry Ikem Obih was the Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer in charge of the Downstream Sector at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. Following his retirement, he was appointed to the board of Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) in July 2020.

Prior to his stint at the NNPC which began in 2016 and lasted for three years, he occupied different important positions at ExxonMobil Nigeria during a 22-year period. He has been involved in a whole lot of other professional engagements, including serving on the Presidential Inter-Ministerial Committee on Road Haulage and Reforms.

Obih graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also obtained an MBA in Financial Management from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom.

About Dr. Kenneth Onyewuchi Opara

Dr Opara is also an alumnus of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, having obtained both his B.Sc. and MBA from there. He also has a Ph.D in Credit Management from the International University of Panama.

He has nearly three decades worth of experience in the banking industry, and had previously worked in the likes of Omega Bank Plc Equitorial Trust Bank Plc before joining Fidelity Bank Plc in 2006.

Fidelity Bank Plc said his appointment as an Executive Director is in furtherance of the bank’s succession plan for its top executives. Recall that earlier this year, Fidelity Bank had announced the appointment of Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe as its CEO designate. She currently serves as an Executive Director and will take up the new position in January next after the outgoing CEO retires.