Olayemi Cardoso

Olayemi Michael Cardoso

Olayemi Michael Cardoso is a Nigerian central banker serving as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and chair of its Monetary Policy Committee. His career has included senior roles in commercial banking and service as Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget.

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About Olayemi Cardoso

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

Nigeria · Central banker, Banker, Public administrator

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Known for: Central banking and monetary policy; Economic planning and public budgeting; Commercial banking
Country: Nigeria

Central banker
Banker
Public administrator

At a glance

Cardoso commenced his tenure as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on October 5, 2023.
The Central Bank of Nigeria lists him as chair of its Monetary Policy Committee.
He served as Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget from 1999 to 2005.
He was Chairman of Citibank Nigeria Limited from 2010 to 2022.
Cardoso studied at Aston University and later completed a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University.

Central Bank leadership

President Bola Tinubu nominated Cardoso to lead the Central Bank of Nigeria on September 15, 2023. He assumed duty as acting governor on September 22, was confirmed by the Senate on September 26, and, according to the Bank's biography, commenced his tenure as governor on October 5. The Bank also lists him as chair of the Monetary Policy Committee, which places him at the centre of its monetary-policy decision-making.

Banking career

Before joining the Central Bank, Cardoso held senior positions in Nigerian commercial banking. He was an Executive Director at Citizens International Bank Limited from 1990 to 1997 and later served as Chairman of Citibank Nigeria Limited from 2010 to 2022. The Central Bank's biography credits him with more than 29 years of commercial-banking experience before he joined the institution.

Economic planning and public service

Cardoso served as Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget from 1999 to 2005. That role forms the principal public-administration component of a career otherwise centred on banking, finance and monetary policy.

Education and professional standing

Cardoso earned a Bachelor of Science in Managerial and Administrative Studies from Aston University in 1980, with a concentration in finance and accounting. He completed a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University in 2005 and is described by the Central Bank as a Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Aston University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Business Administration in 2017, and he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers.

Timeline

1957-07-10 Born in Lagos State, Nigeria.
1980 Graduated from Aston University with a degree in Managerial and Administrative Studies.
1999 Began service as Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget.
2005 Completed a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University.
2010 Began serving as Chairman of Citibank Nigeria Limited.
2017 Received an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree from Aston University.
2023-09-15 Nominated by President Bola Tinubu to serve as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, subject to Senate confirmation.
2023-09-22 Assumed duty as acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria pending Senate confirmation.
2023-09-26 Confirmed by Nigeria's Senate as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
2023-10-05 Commenced his tenure as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, according to the Bank's official biography.

Additional verified details

Current context

The Central Bank of Nigeria's Monetary Policy Committee page lists Olayemi Cardoso as Governor and chair of the Committee. The official page is undated; this current-status observation is based on the page as accessed on the profile's as-of date.
The Central Bank of Nigeria reported that Cardoso delivered a keynote address at the May 15, 2026 launch of the fourth edition of Nigeria's Foreign Exchange Manual.
In October 2025, the Nigerian State House said Cardoso would lead Nigeria's delegation to the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., as alternate governor in place of the finance minister.

Biographical facts

Cardoso was born on July 10, 1957, in Lagos State, Nigeria.
The Central Bank of Nigeria states that Cardoso had more than 29 years of commercial-banking experience before joining the Bank.
Cardoso graduated from Aston University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Managerial and Administrative Studies, with a concentration in finance and accounting.
Cardoso completed a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University in 2005; the Central Bank's 2024 profile also describes him as a Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Aston University awarded Cardoso an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree in 2017.
Cardoso is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers.

Connections

Affiliations

Affiliations associated with Olayemi Cardoso.

Central Bank of Nigeria Governor 2023-10-05–present
Central Bank of Nigeria Chair, Monetary Policy Committee present
Citibank Nigeria Limited Chairman 2010–2022
Lagos State Government Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget 1999–2005
Citizens International Bank Limited Executive Director 1990–1997
Central Bank of Nigeria 2023-10-05–present