A new chapter has opened for Nigeria and West Africa in the global campaign against fraud and financial crime.
David Odu, a senior manager at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has been elected to the 2026–2027 Board of Regents of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), becoming the first Nigerian and the first West African to attain a seat on the organisation’s highest elective governing body.
The announcement is expected to be formally made at the ACFE Global Fraud Conference in Boston, United States, although Odu and two other newly elected Regents took their oaths of office during the board’s February 2026 meeting.
The election is a landmark moment for a professional whose career has been closely tied to strengthening financial integrity and accountability. At the CBN, Odu has served in several leadership capacities, including Head of Currency Management Centre, Head of Customer Service, Head of Banking Services, and Head of Information and Client Services at the Makurdi branch, where he handled customer complaints involving financial institutions.
His work at the bank's headquarters also saw him serve as Senior Manager, Anti-Money Laundering Compliance, contributing to the AML/CFT/CPF compliance policy framework developed for the eNaira, Africa’s first central bank digital currency.
Beyond the CBN, Odu played a key role in expanding anti-fraud collaboration across the region. He facilitated the apex bank’s partnership with the ACFE Law Enforcement and Government Alliance (LEGA), making the CBN the first government institution in Nigeria and the first central bank in Africa to join the global anti-fraud network. He later helped secure LEGA membership for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and The Gambia’s National Audit Office.
A Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, Odu has also contributed to policy discussions through research and public engagement. In 2020, he authored an article in Bullion, the CBN journal, examining anti-money laundering regulation, fintech disruption and financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa. His professional training includes programmes at the Singapore Civil Service College, the Hague Academy for Local Governance, and the National Institute for Bank Management in Pune, India. He has also spoken at several international forums, including the annual compliance seminar of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Reacting to his election, Odu described the development as a collective achievement for the continent.
“My election to the Board of Regents of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is not just a personal achievement; it is a proud moment for Nigeria, West Africa, and the African anti-fraud community,” he said.
“It demonstrates that African professionals are increasingly shaping global conversations on integrity, compliance, governance, and financial crime prevention.
“I hope this milestone inspires young professionals across Africa to believe that competence, excellence, and integrity can create opportunities on the global stage.”
The achievement has also attracted international recognition as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in a letter to ACFE President John Gill, congratulated both Odu and the association on the appointment.
“Please accept my heartfelt congratulations to him on this well-deserved achievement, and to the Association for choosing such an accomplished and dedicated professional for this important role,” she wrote.
Describing the election as an inspiring milestone, Okonjo-Iweala noted that Odu’s emergence as the first Regent from West Africa carries significance beyond the individual, reflecting Africa’s growing influence in global conversations on governance, compliance and financial crime prevention.
For Nigeria, the election represents a rare seat at one of the world's most influential anti-fraud tables and a reminder that Nigerian expertise continues to earn recognition on the global stage.
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