Executive Director and Chief Risk Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr Kevin Ugwuoke, has assumed office as the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria.

At the presidential handover ceremony held in Lagos on Saturday, Ugwuoke announced a reform-driven agenda focused on policy advocacy, ethical standards, and digital innovation to deepen risk governance across sectors in Nigeria.

Ugwuoke, who is also the Acting President of the Federation of African Risk Management Associations, described his emergence as “a call to action”, pledging to reposition CRMI as a thought leader and institutional partner in Nigeria’s national development discourse.

The Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria was established by Act No. 39 of 2022. The Institute is a professional body for risk management professionals to promote best practices and advocacy in risk management and related disciplines in Nigeria.

The new president said, “Our mission is beyond certification. It is about building national consciousness around risk governance.

We will engage policymakers, raise awareness, and provide practical tools to help organisations institutionalise risk intelligence at all levels.”

Ugwuoke announced a five-pronged strategy anchored on strengthening professional certification and education, deepening regulatory engagement, accelerating digital transformation, integrating ESG and climate risk into corporate strategy, and promoting youth engagement in the risk management profession.

He said CRMI would work more closely with key policy institutions such as the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, National Assembly, and sub-national governments to ensure structured risk frameworks are embedded in economic development plans.

“We must integrate risk thinking into how we plan, govern, and invest,” he noted, adding that CRMI will advocate for more inclusive regulatory frameworks that support small and medium-sized enterprises, improve macroeconomic stability, and build institutional resilience.

On professional standards, Ugwuoke announced plans to revise the institute’s curriculum, introduce new certifications tailored to emerging risk trends, and upgrade its learning management systems. He reiterated that a national risk observatory is also on the cards, aimed at delivering real-time risk intelligence to the public and private sectors.

“Digital innovation will be central to how CRMI operates going forward. We are working to automate our backend systems fully, deliver more virtual training, and use technology to scale impact across Nigeria and beyond,” he said.

On his part, the immediate past president of the Chartered Institute of Risk Management of Nigeria, Professor Ezekiel Oseni, reflected on key achievements during his tenure, including the Institute’s charter status, expanded partnerships, and increased international recognition, and urged continued leadership and growth under the new administration, saying, “I therefore humbly charge the next leadership to build on the accomplishments of the last four years and do more for the Institute.”

Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of United Bank for Africa, Mr Oliver Alawuba, the Deputy Managing Director, UBA, Chukwuma Nweke, noted that CRMI under the past president Oseni had “deepened regulatory partnerships, mainstreamed enterprise risk management frameworks, and made risk thinking a boardroom imperative.”

He described Ugwuoke as a worthy successor, saying, “As Professor Oseni hands over the baton to Mr Kevin Ugwuoke, a highly respected figure in the risk management ecosystem, we are confident that CRMI is poised for even greater relevance.” He brings both academic depth and practical foresight, essential for navigating today’s volatile global environment.”

Alawuba added that Nigeria’s economic challenges, ranging from inflation and exchange rate volatility to debt sustainability concerns, are not just financial indicators but risk signals, calling for proactive, data-driven governance frameworks.

“Risk management must no longer be viewed as a compliance obligation or a cost centre. It must be recognised as a strategic enabler of resilience and growth. “Organisations that embed risk intelligence into their strategies will be better positioned to absorb shocks, unlock value, and inspire investor confidence,” he averred.

As part of the day’s proceedings, the Institute also conferred its Fellow designation on 11 professionals and formally inducted 21 new Chartered Risk Managers into its ranks. In addition, a new Governing Council was constituted to steer the affairs of CRMI for the 2025–2027 term, marking a deliberate step towards institutional continuity and strategic renewal.