Lamido Sanusi was crowned Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 14th Emir of Kano in June, taking over from Ado Abdullahi Bayero after his death. A grandson of the 11th Emir of Kano and prince in the royal family, Sanusi was Central Bank governor from 2009 to 2013, when President Goodluck Jonathan suspended him after he exposed massive corruption at the state oil firm. His first months have shown the major challenges he faces: a string of suicide bombings, carried out by women, forced him to cancel the traditional end of Ramadan celebrations called the Durbar. The Islamist Boko Haram insurgency is increasingly targeting Kano. Sanusi also faces possible civil unrest in Kano if Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian southerner seen by many northerners as divisive, wins another term in 2015 elections.
While suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, is trying very hard to clear his name from the indictment of financial recklessness by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) and the presidency, his colleagues appear to be gradually distancing themselves from actions taken during his reign at the regulatory bank. A deputy governor at the bank and once a leading contender to replace Mr Sanusi, Kingsley Moghalu, said that his boss overstepped his authority. Mr. Sanusi, however, said that he believed that his suspension was hastened after he threatened to commission a special audit of all Nigerian banks to unravel the whereabouts of the missing $20 billion. Ironically, the FRCN report also indicted that Mr Moghalu and his colleagues were also recommended for dismissal and prosecution.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the governor of the country’s central bank, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, on charges of “financial recklessness and misconduct” and “far-reaching irregularities.” The dismissal followed by days Sanusi’s claim that $20 billion in oil revenues was missing from government accounts. The president’s insistence that the move had nothing to do with Sanusi’s whistleblowing is not convincing. An investigation 18 months ago reportedly concluded that tens of billions of dollars in oil and gas revenue was missing from 2002 to 2012. No investigation followed up on these allegations and no prosecutions resulted. Not surprisingly, there has been an outflow of currency since the dismissal of Sanusi and a sharp plunge in the value of the national currency.
After the suspension of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, a report of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria was published. The council also advised the President to cause the CBN Governor to cease from holding that office.
The link shows the details of the accusations, which came after the Governor accused the national oil company of USD 20 bn fraud.
Most critics of Sanusi start with the idea that the Nigerian Central Bank had over-reached its mandate. Although they are probably right, his activities must be applauded in a country where institutional failure has reached epic proportions. Sanusi has been a clear promoter of industrial policy for many years. His passion for tackling the oil sector corruption started on day one of his job. In parse ing through the bad debts that had been run up by the banks, he saw the cancer of the fuel subsidy racket. He didn’t flinch in taking on the banks, he didn’t flinch in taking on the fuel subsidy cabal, he didn’t flinch in taking on the power cabal, he didn’t flinch in taking on the NNPC. Is he a one-man anti-corruption agency – of course not. But if not him, then who? Nigeria is about to find out.
Nigeria's central bank governor Lamido Sanusi has been suspended by the president for "financial recklessness and misconduct". Mr Sanusi caused shockwaves in Nigeria when he alleged that $20bn (£12bn) in oil revenue had gone missing. He said he would challenge his suspension in order to preserve the central bank's independence. Meanwhile, foreign exchange, bond and money markets have stopped trading because of uncertainty caused by the move. The president, however, does not have the power to sack the central bank governor - only the National Assembly can do this. Although his term in office was due to end in June, the decision to suspend him now is still highly significant. Many Nigerians will think the president has chosen to suspend the whistleblower rather than focus on stopping fraud.
Standard Bank wants to begin haria-compliant banking in Nigeria this year to benefit from the needs of Africa’s largest Muslim population.
The west African country has as competitors Senegal, Egypt and South Africa, all looking to expand in the $1 trillion (R7.1 trillion) Islamic finance industry.
Central bank governor Lamido Sanusi stated in June that Nigeria wanted to be a “hub” for sharia-compliant finance in the region and planned to sell its first sukuk, or Islamic bond, within 18 months.
Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc (IBTCCB) was finally given approval by Nigeria’s central bank to provide Islamic banking services in Africa’s most populous nation.
Nigeria’s 150 million population is divided in an almost even way between Muslims and Christians, providing it with a market for Islamic banking products. The oppinion of Central bank Governor Lamido Sanusi ist that Nigeria wants to be a “hub of Islamic finance” in the region and plans to sell its first sukuk within 18 months.
Nigeria plans to license at least two Islamic financial institutions by the end of the year and is getting assistance from Malaysia to expand its sharia-compliant industry, in a nation where 70 percent of people have no access to regular banking services.
Central Bank of Nigeria governor Lamido Sanusi said this month that as many as three non-Islamic banks had expressed interest in opening sharia-compliant “windows”.