By Olatunde Dodondawa
The Board of Directors of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has approved the appointment of Dr. Tinuade Sanda as the Deputy Managing Director of Eko the Company. Prior to her appointment, Dr. Sanda was the Chief Accounting Officer, a position she had occupied since 2013.
This announcement was made by the EKEDC General Manager, Corporate Communications, Godwin Idemudia through an official statement to the press. He stated, ‘we are pleased to announce that the Board of Eko DisCo has approved the appointment of Dr. Tinuade Sanda as the new Deputy CEO, which is in line with the company’s strategies and procedures. The Board and the Management are confident in Dr. Sanda’s proficiency and capacity to assist in leading the company towards its vision of becoming the leading and customer-centric electricity distribution company in Africa.’
In his statement, the Board Chairman, EKEDC, Mr. Oritsedere Otubu said “We are proud to announce Tinuade Sanda our first female Deputy CEO. Her appointment has proven the resilience of our succession planning mechanisms and the value we place on our corporate governance practices, which underpin our philosophy of building and recognizing home-grown talents.’’
Dr. Tinuade Sanda is a senior executive with vast experience in Financial Reporting, Treasury Management, Taxation, Mergers and Acquisitions, Finance Regulation, Risk Management, and Financial Modeling. Prior to joining EKEDC in 2013, Dr. Tinuade was the Head, Finance, and Administration at Vanguard Energy Resources, a leading oil, and gas trading services company. In 2001, she joined the banking sector at Chartered Bank of Nigeria where she rose through the ranks before joining Access Bank as the Head of Retail Risk Management till 2012 when she left the sector.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in Financial Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. She also attended Strategic Financial Analysis for Business Evaluation Program at the Harvard Business School in 2015. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Nigeria; Institute of Management Consultants, United States; and Institute of Professional Financial Managers, London. She is also an Associate Member of the Risk Management Association of Nigeria; Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria; and the Institute of Directors, Nigeria. In 2020, She was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Financial Management & Entrepreneurship from the ICON University of Management Science & Technology, Benin Republic.
Reacting to her appointment, Dr. Tinuade Sanda expressed her gratitude towards her new responsibility in the Company. She stated, ‘I appreciate the Board’s belief in my ability as I look forward to supporting the CEO in developing Eko DisCo further with the formidable workforce. “We know our role in the electricity industry; hence, I am going to give my best to ensure EKEDC continues to deliver on its promise to our customers and enhance collaboration with stakeholders to bring about further growth and development in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.’
Dr. Sanda is an active participant in the electricity market, and she is a member of the CFO subcommittee of The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) where her innovative ideas have led to positive changes introduced in the financial processes and systems of participants in the power sector.
