Godwin Nwabunka
| Godwin Nwabunka | |
|---|---|
| Born | Godwin Chinyere Nwabunka |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Nigerian |
| 🏫 Education | Pontifical Gregorian University (PhD) |
| 💼 Occupation | Microfinance executive |
| Known for | Founder of Grooming Centre |
| Title | Chief Executive Officer, Grooming Centre |
Godwin Chinyere Nwabunka is a Nigerian development economist and microfinance executive. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Grooming People for Better Livelihood Centre (Grooming Centre), a microfinance institution based in Lagos.[1] He is also chairman of Grooming Microfinance Bank and chairman of the board of trustees of Amadeus University in Amizi, Abia State.[2]
Education
Nwabunka earned a doctorate in development economics from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1983, with a thesis on appropriate technologies for small and medium-sized enterprise development in Imo State.[1] According to his biography on the Amadeus University website, he also holds professional certifications from Harvard University, the Boulder Institute of Microfinance, the Institute for Social Banking in Basel and the Centre for Development Management in Rajendrapur, Bangladesh.[2]
Career
Nwabunka began his career in management consulting before spending more than 18 years with the United Nations system in Nigeria and abroad,[2] including with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNICEF. At the UNDP he led the implementation in Nigeria of the MicroStart programme, which supported new microfinance institutions in the country; its technical partner was the Bangladeshi microfinance organisation ASA, whose founder later advised Nwabunka when he set up Grooming Centre.[1]
He founded Grooming Centre in 2006 and has been its chief executive officer since 2009.[2][3] He is also chairman of Grooming Microfinance Bank.[2]
Nwabunka conceived Amadeus University, a not-for-profit private university in Amizi, Abia State, whose institutional promoter is Grooming Centre. The university was licensed by the National Universities Commission in June 2023 and began academic activities in September 2024.[4] He chairs its board of trustees.[2][5]
Views on financial inclusion
Nwabunka has argued that the informal sector and people at the base of the economic pyramid generate a large, largely unrecorded share of Nigeria's trade, and that policy for the sector should be shaped through consultation with small traders and their service providers rather than mainly with banks, insurers and listed companies.[1] In 2018, he told the Oxford Business Group that many of Nigeria's more than 1,000 microfinance institutions lacked the capacity to operate effectively, and that consolidation and digital technology should be the industry's priorities.[6] He has also said that small businesses should be able to borrow on the strength of their cash flows rather than collateral, which many of them lack.[7]
Recognition
In May 2026, Nwabunka was honoured in the non-members category at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Annual Dinner and Awards Night in Lagos.[5] He delivered the keynote address at ICAN's 74th induction ceremony for new members.[8] According to his biography on the Amadeus University website, he is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, an Accion Center for Financial Inclusion Africa Board Fellow, a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria, and a life member of the Institute of Directors Nigeria and the Nigerian Economic Society.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Nwosu, Nduka (17 September 2022). "Nwabunka: Base pyramid will drive Nigeria's economic growth". ThisDay. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Board of Trustees". Amadeus University. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
- ↑ Tijani, Mayowa (8 July 2016). "Sesor, Grooming Centre support 50 female IDP businesses with N2.7m". TheCable. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
- ↑ "Our Mission, Vision and History". Amadeus University. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "UBA's Alawuba, Niger governor, AGF, others honoured at ICAN 2026 Awards Night". Nairametrics. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
- ↑ "Expansion of financial inclusion to reach more unbanked customers in Nigeria". The Report: Nigeria 2019. Oxford Business Group. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
- ↑ "Grooming Centre earns top honors as best financier for women entrepreneurs in 2023 Global SME Finance Awards". MSME Africa. 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
- ↑ "Speeches and Presentations". Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
External links
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