By Muhyideen Jimoh
Mr Bala Bello, the newly appointed Special Adviser to the President on Political Economy, has expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to serve, pledging support for the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Bello, who until recently served as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was appointed to the strategic advisory role as part of a restructuring within the government’s economic management team.
In a statement on Saturday in Abuja, Bello thanked the president for appointing him earlier to the apex bank and giving him the opportunity to serve the country in that capacity.
He described the new appointment as an opportunity to contribute more directly to the administration’s policy direction and support implementation of its political and economic reform agenda.
“I am grateful to President Tinubu for appointing me to the Central Bank of Nigeria and giving me the privilege to serve for the past 30 months.
“I am even more grateful that he has now found me worthy to serve as Special Adviser on Political Economy,” he said.
Bello noted that the new role would enable him work more closely with the president while providing strategic input toward the administration’s ongoing political and economic reform initiatives.
“It places me in a position to work even more closely with the president and contribute more meaningfully to the bold political and economic reforms being undertaken by the administration,” he said.
He assured the president of his commitment to the assignment, promising to deploy his professional experience, dedication and loyalty in supporting the administration’s policy objectives.
“I assure the president that I will continue to serve with professional aplomb and loyalty in the discharge of my responsibilities,” he said.
Before his appointment to the CBN, Bello built a professional career spanning development finance, public sector banking and economic policy advisory engagements.
He served as Executive Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) from April 2017 to September 2023 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In September 2023, Tinubu appointed him Deputy Governor of CBN as part of reforms aimed at strengthening the institution’s policy direction and regulatory framework.
Bello was also active in political mobilisation before the 2023 general elections, advocating power rotation to southern Nigeria after the eight-year tenure of Buhari.
During the campaign, he aligned with the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and worked within its political mobilisation and stakeholder engagement structures.
He served in the Logistics and Support Services Directorate led by Ibrahim Masari and the Stakeholder Engagement Directorate headed by Nuhu Ribadu, the current National Security Adviser.
With his appointment as Special Adviser on Political Economy, Bello is expected to provide strategic policy advice linking political dynamics with economic reforms under the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda. (NAN)
Edited by Mufutau Ojo
