NOVA Bank appoints Jude Anele as Managing Director and CEO

NOVA Bank Limited has named Jude Anele as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer following regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the bank confirmed over the weekend.

The appointment positions the lender for its next phase of growth after completing a significant institutional transformation — transitioning from merchant to commercial banking and meeting its recapitalisation requirements ahead of the CBN’s March 31, 2026, deadline.

Anele arrives with over three decades of banking experience spanning West and Central Africa, with a track record that encompasses retail and commercial banking, corporate banking, risk management, and executive leadership.

Over his 33-year career, he has led complex banking operations, strengthened governance frameworks, and built revenue-generating teams across multiple markets — credentials the board says align directly with where NOVA Bank is headed.

Speaking on his appointment, Anele struck a tone of measured urgency. “Nova Bank has built a strong institutional foundation defined by regulatory compliance, capital strength, disciplined governance and a clear commercial mandate,” he said. “Our focus now is execution — deepening customer relationships, expanding responsibly across priority markets, strengthening risk discipline and delivering sustainable value to our shareholders.”

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Board Chairman Phillips Oduoza expressed equal confidence in the new leadership direction. “His depth of experience, strategic clarity and proven leadership record align strongly with NOVA Bank’s growth ambitions,” Oduoza said, adding that the completion of recapitalisation ahead of schedule had placed the bank firmly on a path of scale, stability, and structured expansion.

The capital raise, backed by both new and existing shareholders, has reinforced the bank’s balance sheet and broadened the runway for growth. NOVA Bank currently operates branches in Lagos, Abuja, Owerri, and Port Harcourt, and has confirmed plans to open eight additional branches across key commercial hubs before the end of 2026 — a signal that under its new chief executive, the bank intends to move quickly and deliberately into its commercial banking future.