Charles Chukwuma Soludo

Charles Chukwuma Soludo
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria
In office
29 May 2004  29 May 2009
President Olusegun Obasanjo
Umaru Yar'Adua
Preceded by Joseph Oladele Sanusi
Succeeded by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi
Personal details
Born 28 July 1960 (age 54)
Aguata LGA, Anambra State
Nationality Nigerian
Spouse(s) Nonye
Children Six
Occupation Economics professor

Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR (born 28 July 1960) is a Nigerian economics professor and the immediate past Governor and chairman of the board of directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He was named Governor on 29 May 2004."Board of Directors". Central Bank of Nigeria. Retrieved 12 January 2008. He is also a member of the British Department for International Development's International Advisory Group.

Career

Academia

Dr Soludo has been visiting scholar at the International Monetary Fund, the University of Cambridge, the Brookings Institution, the University of Warwick and the University of Oxford and a visiting professor at Swarthmore College (USA). He has also worked as a consultant for a number of international organisations, including The World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations Development Programme.[1][2][3]

Soludo is a core professional in the business of macroeconomics. He obtained his three degrees and then professorship at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, Enugu State. He graduated with a First Class Honors degree in 1984, an MSc Economics in 1987, and a PhD in 1989, winning prizes for the best student at all three levels.[3][4]

He has been trained and involved in research, teaching and auditing in such disciplines as the multi-country macro econometric modelling, techniques of computable general equilibrium modelling, survey methodology and panel data econometrics, among others. Soludo studied and taught these courses at many Universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and Warwick. He has co-authored, co-edited and authored about ten books on this subject matter.[4]

In 1998 Soludo was appointed to the position of professor of economics at the University of Nigeria; the next year he became a visiting professor at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, US.

Government

Soludo joined the federal government in 2003. Prior to his May 2004 appointment to the bank chairmanship, he held the positions of Chief Economic Adviser to former President Obasanjo and Chief Executive of the National Planning Commission of Nigeria. In January 2008, in a speech to the Nigerian Economic Society, he predicted consolidation in the private banking industry, saying "By the end of 2008, there'll be fewer banks than there are today. The restructuring of the banking industry has been attracting funds from local and foreign investors, which have increased banks' ability to lend to customers".[5] He hopes to see Nigeria become Africa's financial hub,[6] and considers microfinance important to the federal government's economic policies.[7]

Politics

In September 2009, Soludo announced his aspiration for the seat of the Governor of Anambra State, in the south-eastern Nigeria state's election of 9 February 2010.

On 9 October 2009, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) chose Professor Soludo as their consensus candidate for the position from a field of 47 candidates, after repeated attempts to hold elective primaries were stalled by court injunctions. However, his nomination was contested by 23 of the 47 aspirants, citing lack of transparency in the process.

After this initial rancour, 36 out of the 47 candidates, and several top shots of the PDP, affirmed their support for Soludo on Wednesday 14 October 2009. However, Soludo went on to lose the election to Peter Obi in an election which was largely considered free and fair according to major election observers. However, with the perceived solid performance of Soludo as the CBN Governor he remains a respected economic policy authority in Nigeria. Political commentators in urging an issue based election campaign in the coming 2011 election has called on aspirants to work with respected economists like Soludo towards an acceptable Economic Plan.[8]

On 17 July 2013, Soludo resigned from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) after a letter to the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. He later joined the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in preparation for the November 2013 governorship race in Anambra state.

Publications

1992
1993
1994
1995
1998
1999
2002
2004
2006

Notable Articles

Buhari vs Jonathan, Beyond the elections.

419 scams

Soludo's name and position are frequently used by con artists in their attempts to add credibility to their advance-fee fraud activities (also known as 419 scams).[9]

References

  1. Contributors: Centre de recherches pour le développement international
  2. http://www.styluspub.com/books/AuthorDetail.aspx?id=6264
  3. 3.0 3.1 Soludo Appointed CBN Governor, Asia Africa Intelligence Wire, 30 April 2004.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "N25bn capital base: Senate drills Soludo" BNW News: Biafra Nigeria World News.
  5. Adesida, Seun (4 January 2008). "There will be fewer banks in 2008 –Soludo". The Sun News On-line (The Sun Publishing). Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  6. Omonkhanlen, Odidison (31 December 2007). "Financial sector reforms and the judiciary". Nigerian Tribune (African Newspapers of Nigeria). Archived from the original on 31 December 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  7. Atitebi, Tajudeen (7 January 2008). "Microfinance banks take centre stage in". Vanguard Online Edition (Vanguard Media). Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  8. Economic Plan
  9. urgentmessage.org

External links