The appointment of Dr Robert Orya as the Managing Director of Nigerian Export and Import (NEXIM) Bank has surely not come as a surprise to keen observers of the financial industry and the Nigerian economy. As a matter of fact, it is the most expected if the recent transformation of the bank is anything to go by. Dr Orya first emerged as Managing Director in 2009 and since then, the deft touches and dexterity of a professional has been quit visible.

In Nigeria, It is almost impossible to see individuals coming to a government establishment and leaving it better than it was. This is due to the lame mentality that government establishments are opportunities for citizens to slice their own chunk of the national cake. Very few chief executives have displayed resilience and professionalism in the discharge of their responsibility especially in government parasatals.

The history of the Nigerian Export and Import Bank has been rewritten in a bold ink with the name of Dr Robert Orya painted all over it after creating more than 24 thousand jobs in the last four years.

The bank which was established in 1991 to complement the economy for better viability was solely dependent on government for funding. As a matter of fact, the financial and operational performance had deteriorated to alarming proportion due to either underfunding or mismanagement of funds before the emergence of Dr Orya. Even though the challenges of reversing the fate of the bank was a herculean task, the chief executive of bank has done a laudable job in instigating initiative which is crucial to the development of the bank.

It is worthy to say that within the last five years, the bank has made a giant U-turn from a dependent organization a self-sufficient one. The NEXIM Bank under Dr Orya aided the development of non-oil sector via regular disbursement of loans. This also extended to service sectors, covering the transportation and health industries.

Other non-oil sector of the nation like agro-processing, solid minerals and industrial sectors also have NEXIM to thank for the massive succour it has lend to its development. In this vein, there is no gainsaying that the bank has been converted from a loss recording to a regular profit making organization in the past four years, which in itself is a landmark in the history of the Bank and public institutions in the country.

NEXIM Bank under Dr Robert Orya have undergone massive rebranding within the first few years of his administration. The restructuring of the credit policy of NEXIM was a giant stride which ensured that loan distribution followed due precepts. Thus this has gone a long way in ensuring that the Bank makes profit as at when due without any serious hindrance. Furthermore, risk management has been the gnawing termite in the organization for a long time. In fact, this was the master reason why mismanagement of funds thrived in the system without being properly checkmated.

But the dispensation of Dr Orya ensured an unambiguous risk management framework and creation of risk asset, to avert any hazy deal that will lead to financial loss of the Bank. In this vein, the chairman of the management credit committee remains the chief risk officer while even the Managing Director and other senior executive have no vector powers to influence loan disbursement. Such is the credibility and discipline brought to the Bank by Dr Orya. Little wonders NEXIM was declared the best financial institution in Africa by DFI.

With the overwhelming achievement in just relatively few years, there is no doubt it can only getting better in NEXIM with Dr Orya during the new tenure. Little wonders, there was no need for any debate or further ado before the amiable energetic Managing Director was reappointed for the second consecutive time.

Apart from making substantive effort in removing trade barriers by promoting commercial exchanges among the Economic Community of West African States, the Bank has also assisted local manufacturers with funds in order to fly made in Nigeria product in sub Africa. This has no doubt elevated the NEXIM bank to a brand name not only nationally and continentally but even among its international counterpart.

The next few years will most likely see a phenomenal expansion of the country’s non-oil sector in view of the enormous efforts being made by the bank in this direction. In his first term, Orya built a highly skilled and motivated work force. And little wonder NEXIM Bank was named the best among its peers for 2013.