Roberts Orya At Nexim & The Deliberate Employment & Value Policy For Benue -By Akosu Emmanuel Lubem

Man whatever he becomes in life is naturally drawn to the aspirations, needs, and love for his kinsmen. This is so mostly when he is elevated to a position of significance in the society. In a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria, most leaders tend to champion the cause of their kinsmen and community primarily, over and above other subsistent interests. This is because they are passionately attached to, and thus understand their peoples’ feelings and aspirations more. For instance, the Late Chief Awolowo championed the interest of yorubas of the West closely with a deliberate agenda to make them meaningful, while the the late Sardauna, Sir Ahmadu Bello promoted and felt so passionately about Northern cause even though they saw Nigeria as a central entity.

Chief Roberts Orya like any of these foremost leaders would want to advance the cause of his people at all instances and opportunities particularly when he feels they are marginalized and not fully carried along in national scheme and other basic engagements even in the face of the much touted Federal character culture.

For instance, prior to Roberts Orya’s appointment at NEXIM as MD/ CEO, no single TIV man or woman had worked at the Nation’s Import- Export Bank. Not even as a cleaner or security guard. But Orya would change the unfortunate status quo. He came, saw and conquered the injustices melted out a supposedly dorminant tribe only recognized in voting strength yet denied it’s due at the national booty. He not only employed a good number of his kinsmen, but gave other Benue tribes opportunities of employment at NEXIM Bank and beyond. Others he hired as consultants for various related tasks at the bank.

Some of them rose to managerial cadres as Assistant General Managers. Accordingly the likes of: – Accountant Matthew Jande rose through the ranks and became Senior Manager Incharge of Projects Finance.

– Terhile Ge became Principal Manager Head, Foreign Operations
– Ben Nyakuma, Principal Manager and Head, Specialized Business
– Mathias Sendave, AGM and Head, Internal Audit
– Charles Nyior Ajiva, AGM and Head Internal audit later seconded to Federal mortgage Bank of Nigeria as Executive Director
– Paul Ajekwe, Deputy Manager… Projects Finance
– Mike Mone-Gbeh Export Credit Officer
– Angela Dondo ECO
– Anne Gberkon ECO
– Doosuur Avatar ECO
– Away Mike ECO
– Aondofa Dio ECO
– Msugh Kah ECO

Roberts Orya’s deliberate policy of facilitating employments dates back to his early days as a Bank Chief Executive. Having worked with various Banks across Nigeria, he employed several of the younger elements and today a good number of them have risen to the top echelon as Banks’ Managers with thick portfolios. This in description is value thinking and genuine mentorship. Absolute rare Selfless leadership. Quite productive a making meaning out people!

While he served meritoriously to deliver on key targets of expansion in the non oil and trade Economy, he equally recognized that the economy of his home state Benue was in dire need of growth and expansion and must as a priority be be lifted successfully to ensure adequate wealth spread across the state. He sunk over N5Billion Naira in Benue State which he spread across business men and entrepreneurs to boost the private sector investment drive and make Benue an attractive investment hub for the nation. This he had envisioned would create direct and indirect jobs for the teeming unemployed, particularly the youth segment who had no jobs coming after graduation. He had wanted an expansion in the Economy, therefore needed to raise productive entrepreneurs to build a Benue of pride to other parts of Nigeria, Africa and the world. He therefore encouraged trade, agriculture and entrepreneurship which potentials however remain highly untapped.

Back at the helm of NEXIM , when Chief Roberts Orya stepped in the Saddle as CEO/ MD , in 2009, the bank was already moribound and in deep meshed financial crises with the greater number of the accounts it was holding being in the non-performing class. At that time the almost collapsed NEXIM Bank’s total loan portfolio stood at N14.6 billion, and 72% of this was non-performing; of these portion, more than two-third was considered as completely lost. This was a time the world was still grappling with the fall out of a global financial crisis and NEXIM Bank has such dismal capital base that there was not much it could do by way of meeting its mandate. Roberts Orya came in the apocalypse! He made the difference! He cleaned the Banks redundant workforce, brought in skill, productive, trained and specialized workforce , in addition to a creative and motivated team to engender productivity and meet desired targets and tangible results.

The result was discernable as the revitalised staff were able to come up with world class ideas to drive the institution and restore its mandate. One result from the empowered staff with automated system was the significant slashing down of the turnaround time that saw delivery time 80% Turn Around Time and 95% IT efficiency rate and uptime.

For the first time since the inception of the bank in 1991, it was under Orya’s watch that NEXIM was able to pay dividends to its owners. He achieved this feat despite the dismal state in which he took over the running of the Bank. With Chief Roberts Orya at the helm, only sixteen months was enough to move from making a loss of N5.460billion in 2009 to turning an impressive audited profit of N189million in 2010. The momentum was sustained until the new Government of Buhari changed the baton from him.

NEXIM prior to Orya’s arrival was spurred on a wrong mandate. Instead of embarking on its lawful mandate as a specialised trade bank, it was rather utilized for political expediency. It became a well of wealth to satisfy Politicians and other government cronies. But the quick strategic thinking of the Orya led management saw the institution streamlining and re-focusing its true Creed and area of intervention. He first began a sustainable and achievable mandate to cover the West African sub-region as its area of focus with resounding success stories recorded. Nigerian businesses were able to make inroads into the neighbouring countries with their products better patronized.

While the NEXIM under Orya redefined its focus, other sectors of the Nigerian economy were opened to enjoy funds injection made possible by its creativity. Beneficiaries of such funds went beyond the traditional businesses to break new grounds like the entertainment and creative industry which benefited both technically and financially from the Bank’s facilities.

Under Orya, NEXIM initiated and expanded the facilitation of a transnational shipping company under the auspices of the organised private sector associations in West and Central Africa and in partnership with the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industries and Transimex S. A Cameroun. The Sealink Project was conceived to address the non-tariff barriers and high logistical costs that had slowed intra-regional trade and competitiveness of Nigerian manufactured exports in the region.

The bank also moved from an institution that operated in isolation to one that signed several Memoranda of Understanding with sister Export– Import Banks from other countries. Relationships now existed between NEXIM and most of the EXIM banks in the world. The U.S EXIM Bank, the African Import-Export, Afrexim, EximIndia, and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) are among those that worked closely with their Nigerian counterpart. Collaborative relationships were established with various other development finance institutions around the world including China, Turkey, Brazil and Mexico.

All the other achievements of the bank went a long way towards creating thousands of desperately needed jobs and foreign exchange earnings in Nigeria. These include direct and indirect jobs that were added to the economy. The world indeed acknowledged and recognized the strides covered by NEXIM under the Chief Roberts Orya’s unique Sterling leadership. The 24-member Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) elected Roberts Orya as its Honourary President in 2015 in recognition of his globally relevant contributions.

His sterling performance was such that he was again reappointed for a second term by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

History would always keep a date with the kinds of Roberts Orya at times of public discourse, counted as a mentor, selfless leader, Strategic thinker, veteran investment banker, innovator, internationally reckoned economic czar, productive and prudent manager of men and resources even he has consistently made the difference in public office , whilst keeping the people closely to his selfless agenda.

Akosu Emmanuel Lubem
Media Adviser/Consultant
Chief Roberts ORYA
(BENUE Governorship Hopeful 2023)