Abubakar Suleiman

Abubakar Suleiman is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Plc, where he has led the institution’s transformation into one of Nigeria’s most innovative and purpose-driven financial service providers. With over two decades of experience across banking, consulting, and corporate finance, he has been instrumental in redefining financial inclusion and sustainable growth in Nigeria through Sterling’s H.E.A.R.T. strategy — focusing on Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Transportation. His visionary leadership continues to position Sterling Bank as a driver of youth employment, enterprise development, and green investment.

He began his career in 1996 at Arthur Andersen & Co. (now KPMG Nigeria) before joining MBC International Bank in 1998. He later served at Citibank Nigeria from 2000 to 2003, where he worked in treasury, asset and liability management, and risk management. In 2003, he joined Trust Bank of Africa, which later merged with Sterling Bank, where he rose through key leadership roles including Group Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, and Executive Director overseeing finance, strategy, performance management, human resources, and innovation. In April 2018, he was appointed Managing Director and CEO of Sterling Bank Plc — a position from which he has driven the bank’s sustained growth and digital transformation. He also serves as a Director at Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc, a member of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, and an advisory board member at both Lagos Business School and the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University.

Mr. Suleiman holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Abuja and an M.Sc. in Major Programme Management from the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Renowned for his thought leadership on ethical governance, youth empowerment, and sustainable business, he continues to advocate for strategic collaboration between the public and private sectors to build a resilient national workforce.