Last weekend, Aruma Oteh, economist, treasurer and a former Vice President of the World Bank recently clocked 60 years. Not one who often rolls out
Last weekend, Aruma Oteh, economist, treasurer and a former Vice President of the World Bank recently clocked 60 years.
Not one who often rolls out the red carpet, Aruma decided not to let the day pass by just like any other day.
She hosted family, friends and professional colleagues to a grand celebration of her landmark birthday in London.
The day started with the launch of her newly minted book, All Hands On Deck: Unleash Prosperity Through World Class Capital Market at Oxford University.
It was a gathering of who is who. Kemi Adeosun, former Minister of Finance was one of the speakers at the launch cum seminar.
Former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamidi Sanusi, some international financiers and Aruma’s 88 year old ex principal at the Federal Government College Owerri, Imo State, were also in attendance.
Highlife singer, Chinedu Okolie aka Flavour brought the launch and seminar which took place at Keble College Chapel with songs from his repertoire.
The next day, Dapo Oyebanji aka Dbanj birthday brought the two day event to an end as he thrilled the celebrant and her guests which included Tony Elumelu, chairman, United Bank for Africa, UBA chairman, Bolaji Balogun, Valentine Ozigbo, Leslie Okoye; Leo Dasilva (her godson) and his wife Maryam; AFdB president, Akinwunmi Adesina, Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) etc.
A first-class degree holder in Computer Science from the University of Nsukka, Aruma equally holds a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School.
Having worked for various institutions including the Harvard Institute for International Development and Centre Point Investments Limited of Nigeria in corporate finance, consulting, teaching and research, she joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1992., first as a Senior Investment Officer/Senior Capital Markets Officer, then Division Manager Investments and Trading Room before being appointed the Bank’s Group Treasurer responsible for fund raising and investments in major international capital markets.
Oteh was appointed vice-president for Corporate Management at the AfDB in March 2006, responsible for Language Services, General Services and Procurement, Human Resources, and Information Management and Methods.
Aruma was nominated as the Director-General of the Securities & Exchange Commission by President Umaru Yar’Adua an assumed position in January 2010, after being confirmed by the Senate.
In July 2015, Jim Yong Kim, the president of the World Bank appointed her Vice President and Treasurer of the institution. In that capacity, she managed the organization’s US$200 billion debt portfolio, as well as an asset portfolio of almost US$200bn for the World Bank Group and 65 external clients, including central banks, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds.
In late 2018, Aruma left the World Bank to join St Antony’s College, Oxford University, as an academic scholar and an executive-in-residence at Saïd Business School.
In October 2022, FSD Africa, a development agency focused primarily on financial markets in Africa, announced that it had appointed Arunma Oteh to its board of directors.
She is a holder of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in recognition of her contribution to economic development and to transforming the Nigerian capital markets.
In 2011 she received the “Distinction In Public Service” award from the Commonwealth Business Council/African Business.
In 2014, Aruma won the CNBC Africa All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) Businesswoman of the Year category for West Africa.
In 2020, Forbes listed her among “Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women”.
