Newly-appointed adviser on political economy, Bala Bello, thanks President Tinubu, pledges loyalty

A newly appointed Special Adviser to the President on Political Economy, Bala Bello, has expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve, pledging loyalty and professionalism in supporting the administration’s renewed hope agenda.

Mr Bello, who until this week served as a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was appointed to the strategic presidential advisory role as part of a restructuring within the government’s economic management team.

In a message following his appointment, Mr Bello thanked President Tinubu for first appointing him to the CBN and allowing him to serve in the role since 2023.

He said he was particularly grateful that the president had again found him worthy to serve him and the nation more closely in the new capacity.

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“I am grateful to President Tinubu for appointing me to the Central Bank of Nigeria and giving me the privilege to serve for the past 30 months,” he said. “I am even more grateful that he has now found me worthy to serve as Special Adviser on Political Economy.”

Mr Bello noted that the new role would allow him to work more directly with the president and contribute more significantly to the administration’s reform agenda.

According to him, the position places him in a vantage position to support the government’s ongoing political and economic reforms.

“It places me in a position to work even more closely with the President and to contribute more meaningfully to the ongoing bold political and economic reforms being undertaken by the administration,” he said.

He assured the president that he would bring professionalism and loyalty to the assignment.

“I assure the President that I will continue to serve with professional aplomb and loyalty,” he added.

Before his appointment to the CBN, Mr Bello had built a long career in development finance and public sector banking.

He served as Executive Director at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) from April 2017 until September 2023. His appointment to the bank came under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In September 2023, President Tinubu appointed him Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Mr Bello was also active in the political mobilisation that preceded the 2023 general elections.

He was among the early voices advocating that, in the spirit of fairness and national balance, presidential power should rotate to southern Nigeria after the eight-year tenure of President Buhari.

During the 2023 campaign season, he aligned with Mr Tinubu’s political camp and worked within the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.

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He served in two key directorates: the Logistics and Support Services Directorate led by Ibrahim Masari, now Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, and the Stakeholder Engagement Directorate headed by Nuhu Ribadu, who currently serves as Nigeria’s National Security Adviser.

With his new appointment as Special Adviser on Political Economy, Mr Bello is expected to provide strategic advice linking political considerations with economic policy as the administration continues to pursue its reform programme.