Sanusi Lamido poised to become CBN Gov under Tinubu Govt

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor and erstwhile Emir of Kano, could be named the next boss of the apex bank.

POLITICS NIGERIA learned that the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, admires Sanusi and his track record, and may name him as Godwin Emefiele’s successor.

Recall that Tinubu and his allies had a running battle with Emefiele over the Naira redesign policy of the CBN.

Tinubu’s camp allege that Emefiele wanted to hurt the former Lagos State governor’s chances at the 2023 presidential election with the CBN’s monetary policies in 2022.

Governors loyal to Tinubu like Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State and Yayaha Bello of Kogi State sued the CBN at the Supreme Court and won in court, forcing the apex bank to reverse its deadline on the old Naira notes.

It is believed that Governor El Rufai also favours Sanusi.

As CBN governor between 2009 and 2014, Sanusi initiated several extensive banking reforms termed the “Sanusi Tsunami”.

The reforms were built around four pillars: enhancing the quality of banks, establishing financial stability, enabling healthy financial sector evolution and ensuring the financial sector contributes to the real economy.

Sanusi developed the cashless policy – whereby financial transactions are not conducted with money in the form of physical banknotes or coins, but rather through the transfer of digital information (usually an electronic representation of money) between the transacting parties.