First City Monument Bank has appointed renowned economist Bismarck Rewane as its Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Board, following regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria, in a move aimed at strengthening corporate governance and strategic leadership.
The appointment, announced on Wednesday, positions Rewane at the helm of the bank’s board structure as FCMB seeks to deepen its governance framework and support its next phase of growth amid a strengthening capital base and evolving financial sector dynamics.
According to Brandspur Banking News Desk, the decision reflects a broader industry trend among Nigerian financial institutions to reinforce board-level expertise with highly experienced macroeconomic and investment professionals capable of guiding long-term strategy in a complex operating environment.
The bank described Rewane as a seasoned economist with more than four decades of experience spanning macroeconomic research, investment banking, and strategic advisory. He currently serves as Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, a leading economic research and financial advisory firm in Nigeria.
His professional background includes senior roles at International Merchant Bank Nigeria Limited and First National Bank of Chicago, alongside board memberships in several multinational and blue-chip companies across sectors including brewing, manufacturing, and energy.
Rewane is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Economic Society, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, and an associate of the Institute of Chartered Bankers of England and Wales. His academic and executive training includes programmes at the University of Ibadan, Oxford International Capital Markets, Euromoney Institute of Finance, and IMD Lausanne.
In its statement, the bank expressed confidence that Rewane’s expertise in macroeconomic analysis, corporate governance, and strategic management would strengthen board oversight and support sustainable growth, while enhancing value creation for shareholders and other stakeholders.
The appointment comes at a time when Nigeria’s banking sector continues to prioritise governance reforms, capital strengthening, and leadership restructuring to adapt to macroeconomic pressures and maintain competitiveness in an increasingly regulated financial landscape.
