Ado Wanka: Corporate industry guru

Alhaji Ado Yakubu Wanka was a business and industry guru whose career traversed the corporate world, especially in Nigeria. Noted for his experience and professionalism, Wanka was a seasoned banker with over 30 years of managerial experience mainly in Banking and Finance. Born on the 6th of January 1955. He holds a BSc in Chemical […]

Alhaji Ado Yakubu Wanka was a business and industry guru whose career traversed the corporate world, especially in Nigeria. Noted for his experience and professionalism, Wanka was a seasoned banker with over 30 years of managerial experience mainly in Banking and Finance.

Born on the 6th of January 1955. He holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering (1977) and a Master’s in Business Administration (1984), both from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School and the Swiss Institute of Management Development, Lausanne. He started his career as a Process Engineer with Ashaka Cement Company Plc in 1978. Upon completion of his MBA, he joined the Northern Nigerian Development Company (NNDC) (1985-1988), participating actively in new business development and monitoring of NNDC’s quoted and unquoted investments.

In a tribute, the General Manager, Regulatory Services of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ahmad Yakubu Wanka, who is also a relative, said in the early days of his career, Ado voluntarily became his life coach and enabler, “providing effective leadership and providing him with illuminating light in every darkness.”

Wanka served in various capacities in the oil and gas industry, amongst which is, as the Acting Head of New Business Development and later Head of Strategic Planning of the NNPC from 1988-1991. He was the Executive Director of Finance and Administration and Executive Chairman of the Nigeria-Sao Tome Joint Development Authority from 2006-2008.

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Wanka began his banking career in 1988 with the then Citibank Nigeria before moving to FSB International Bank Plc (1991-1997) and Gamji Bank (ITB), where he rose to become an Executive Director and CEO, respectively.

This subsequently propelled him to First Bank of Nigeria as an Executive Director, where he spent about eight years. He joined Unity Bank in 2008, where he was Executive Director, retiring as the Managing Director/CEO in August 2013. At different times, Wanka served on the boards of several companies as Internal Nominee Director, including the Benue Cement Company Plc, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria, First Trustees Ltd, First Registrars, Vmobile (Airtel), Kakawa Discount House, Unity Kapital Assurance Ltd, etc. He served as the Chairman of APT Securities and Funds Ltd and a director of Arewa Metal Containers (ARMECO) Ltd.

Further, Wanka was an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) (NIM), Institute of Credit Administration (ICA), Institute of Chartered Management Accountants (ICMA) and Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers. He was also an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Chemical Society.

Ado Wanka was a delegate to the 2014 National Conference in Nigeria. He loved reading, travelling and is survived by his wife and children.