Without a doubt, these are good times for former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Otunba Femi Pedro, as he turned 60 on Thursday.
For the brainy boardroom guru who made a foray into politics in 2003 to serve as deputy governor to former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he couldn’t have asked for more from life.
For Pedro, who has now returned to his political family, the All Progressives Congress (APC), his rational approach to decision-making still remains his sterling quality.
Married to Jumoke, a Lagos High Court Judge, and blessed with four children, handsome Pedro marked the occasion in a low key way, with his family, few friends and close associates.
The accomplished banker cum politician was born in Lagos in 1955 and attended the University of Wisconsin and Wichita State University, United States for both his Bachelor of Science and Masters degree in Economics, respectively.
He commenced his banking career in 1982 when he joined the country’s apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He rose to the post of Assistant Manager in 1985 and became a research economist the following year. In 1986, he was admitted as an associate of the prestigious Chartered Institute of Bankers, London, United Kingdom, having successfully completed the professional bankers’ examinations. In 1988, he joined First City Merchant Bank Ltd.(now First City Monument Bank Ltd.) and rose to become the Executive Assistant to the bank’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He later became Deputy Manager and Head of Corporate Planning within a period of one year.
He became one of the first set of investors in Guaranty Trust Bank along with Fola Adeola, TayoAderinokun (now deceased), Gbolahan Osibodu, Femi Akingbe, Akin Opeodu and a few others. He later took up a senior managerial role at its inception in 1990, and was subsequently responsible for the opening of a multitude of its branches across the Southern and Northern parts of Nigeria. He served in various capacities at the bank until 1997, when he voluntarily retired. On the eve of his retirement, he was admitted to the fellowship of Chartered institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
In January 1998, Pedro ventured into private business as Chairman of Agro-Corp Ventures Limited, a commodity processing company. The same year (November 1998), he was appointed Managing Director and CEO of First Atlantic Bank(now FinBank), following the acquisition of the bank by a consortium of investors including him. He was also chairman of First Atlantic Online Limited from 2002 to 2003. He resigned as managing director of the Bank after accepting to serve as the deputy governor of Lagos State.
Pedro, who is currently serving as a director on the boards of some companies, is reportedly part-owner of Southern Sun Hotel Group in Nigeria
Femi Pedro Revels at 60
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