Director, Payments System Supervision
Central Bank of Nigeria
Rakiya Opemi Yusuf currently serves as the Director of Payments System Supervision Department at the Central Bank of Nigeria. She is a seasoned financial sector professional and regulator with over three decades of extensive experience in development financing, commercial banking, regulatory policy formulation and supervision, and accounting practices. A strategic thinker and result-oriented leader that contributed significantly to improving regulatory standards, risk-based supervision, with a strong emphasis on governance, compliance, data-driven decision-making, fostering innovation, and supporting national economic development goals, Dr. Rakiya began her career at the Central Bank of Nigeria in January 2011 as a Senior Manager and steadily rose through the ranks. Her work spanned both off-site surveillance and on-site supervision of development finance institutions, primary mortgage banks, microfinance banks, finance companies, payments service banks and payments service providers. She coordinated the development and implementation of payments system vision 2025 strategy document to deepen digital financial inclusion and enhance financial intermediation to support inclusive growth. She led the payments data management office responsible for monitoring and reporting on the state of the payments system in Nigeria. She has served as a member of several interdepartmental committees and participated in inter agency assignments that developed policies to strengthen the stability of the Nigerian Financial System. She is the immediate past Chairman, Financial Inclusion Channels Working Group and currently serves as Chairman, Nigerian e-Fraud Forum (NeFF). Prior to joining the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Rakiya had a cumulative 17 years’ work experience at Bank of Agriculture (formally Nigeria Agriculture and Cooperative Bank), Unity Bank Plc and UHYMaaji & Co. Chartered Accountants. Dr. Rakiya holds a PhD. in Accounting & Finance (2021) and M.Sc. Accounting and Finance (2014) from Nassarawa State University. She obtained her MBA (2002) from University of Calabar and B.Sc. Accounting (1990) from Ahmadu Bello University. Professionally certified across a range of financial disciplines; accounting, taxation, forensics, corporate governance, banking, and management, Dr. Rakiya is a Fellow of multiple bodies including the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN). She is an Associate of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers of Nigeria (CIS), Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ACIS), Society for Corporate Governance of Nigeria (SCGN) and Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM). She is also a Senior Honorary member of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). She had served as chairman of various committees including CIFCFIN Audit committee (2023-2024), ANAN Anti-Corruption Compliance Committee (2019-2021), ANAN Abuja Branch, (2011-2013). She is currently the Chairman of Professional Women Accountants in Nigeria. Dr. Rakiya carved a niche for herself in impacting knowledge and upholding ethical conduct. As a Director of Payments System Supervision with responsibility of ensuring soundness and safety of the payments ecosystem through enforcement of rules and regulations, she desires to build a robust, resilient and efficient payments system in Nigeria.
