•Robert Orya

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja has convicted former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Robert Orya, and sentence him to ten years’ imprisonment for fraud involving about ₦2.4 billion.

Robert Orya was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 49 counts, bordering on breach of trust, fraud, misappropriation, impersonation, corruption, and abuse of office.

Justice Frances Messiri delivered the judgment, on Thursday sentenced Orya to ten years on each count, with the terms to run concurrently.

The offences were traced to Orya’s tenure as NEXIM Managing Director between 2011 and 2016, during which he was found to have diverted bank funds through shell companies, including Luxurium Leisure Services Limited.

The court also found that he fraudulently induced the disbursement of loans, including ₦488 million to Treasure Mix Construction Limited, under false pretences.

Orya was first arraigned by the EFCC in November 2021.

Photo: Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, and AEDC Chairman,Yoon Suk-hun.

The Federal Government has signed an agreement with South Korea to establish an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Nigeria.

In a document seen by Ohibaba.com, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, and the Chairman of the Asia Economic Development Committee (AEDC),Yoon Suk-hun, for South Korea.

The initiative will accelerate technology transfer, investment promotion, human capital development, and research, design, and innovation.

The project will be implemented in phases, beginning with EV assembly and expanding into full in-house production, with an estimated capacity of 300,000 vehicles and the creation of approximately 10,000 jobs.

Nigeria’s automotive sector faces structural challenges, including limited local component production, high assembly costs, and heavy reliance on imports.

The country imports between 400,000 and 720,000 vehicles annually, with 74–90% being used cars.In 2023, imports reached 700,000 units, with passenger cars valued at $1.05 billion in 2024, making Nigeria one of the world’s largest markets for pre-owned vehicles.

To promote electric mobility, the federal government launched a 20 billion naira ($12 million) consumer credit program in December 2024.

The scheme supports the purchase of locally assembled electric vehicles, motorcycles, and tricycles, partnering with domestic manufacturers including Innoson, Nord, CIG (GAC), PAN, Mikano, Jets, NEV (Electric), and DAG to expand access and foster the growth of a homegrown EV industry

• UBA UK CEO Loknath Mishra

United Bank for Africa (UBA), has announced the appointment of Loknath Mishra as Chief Executive Officer of UBA UK.

The appointment, which takes effect from February 2nd, 2026, reinforces the Group’s commitment to strengthening its international footprint and enhancing its role as a key financial bridge between Africa and the world.

As CEO of UBA UK, Mishra will focus on positioning the UK subsidiary as a centre of excellence for regulatory compliance and customer service, strengthening financial resilience through diversified liquidity and income sources, as well as deepening UBA’s leadership in trade, transaction, and correspondent banking in support of business flows in and out of Africa.

Mishra brings with him several decades of international banking experience across retail, corporate, investment and transaction banking, with a distinguished track record of building and leading regulated banking platforms in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Before joining UBA UK, Mishra served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ICICI Bank UK, where he played a central role in strengthening the bank’s presence across the UK and European markets, while significantly enhancing governance, regulatory engagement, and operational resilience.

He also held other senior leadership roles at ICICI Bank Limited, including Group Head of Wholesale Banking and Global Head of Transaction Banking, contributing to the expansion of the bank’s global wholesale franchise, strengthening risk management frameworks, and leading customer-centric transformation initiatives across corporate, institutional and financial institution segments.

Mishra is widely recognised for his leadership in complex regulatory environments and for driving digital innovation across trade finance, cash management and retail banking, and in recognition of his contribution to financial services, he was conferred with the Freedom of the City of London.

Commenting on the appointment, UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, said, “Loknath brings an exceptional combination of global banking experience, regulatory credibility and deep expertise in wholesale and transaction banking.

His leadership will be instrumental in advancing UBA UK’s role as a flagship subsidiary for the Group and in strengthening our capacity to support trade and investment flows between Africa and international markets.”