Active with the Nigerian Economic Society and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Kingsley Obiora is an economic policy expert who most recently served as Deputy Governor (Economic Policy) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He was part of the management team that guided strategic planning and daily operations, and was lead for managing the design and launch of the eNaira, a pioneering African central bank digital currency. Also serving as chairman of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Kingsley Obiora brought a half dozen new member states on board, from South Sudan to Tunisia, in the process boosting intra-African trade.
From 2018 to 2020, Mr. Obiora served as alternate executive director with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C. Assisting to represent 23 African nations before the IMF Board, he helped shape global financial and economic policy priorities. He also undertook internal policy review and approval, ensuring that emerging nations’ financial challenges were addressed in a robust and timely manner.
A key focus for Kingsley Obiora is on pathways toward debt sustainability among African nations, as well as sustained economic growth in Nigeria. He has written several books, IMF Working Papers, and other papers, with a focus on complex topics such as macroeconomic issues, monetary policy, and inflation.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical day starts at 5 am when I wake up to prepare for Daily Mass with my family. We leave home at 6 am for 6:30 am Mass, which finishes at 7 am. I drop off my kids in their schools (high schoolers at 7:15 am and middle-schoolers at 7:40 am). I take an hour morning walk with my wife from 8 am to 9 am, rest and exhale for 15 minutes, take another shower, and then settle into my office at 9:45 am. I make my day productive by planning for every hour the previous day. I give myself tight deadlines and work hard to keep them. I do a lot of introspective thinking; I ask hard questions and provide honest answers. I delegate routine tasks to trusted aides and staff and keep my time and energy focused on deliverables that certainly need my personal attention.
How do you bring ideas to life?
By first thinking through all the myriads of potential risks and challenges that can arise from pursuing/implanting them. Once I am able to reasonably mitigate the risks and overcome the challenges, then I begin implementation. I am known for implementing ideas in predetermined baby steps that are programmed to move fast onto successive stages until full implementation. This strategy enables me to isolate problems and deal with them squarely at that stage.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Two trends come to mind: the power and promise of artificial intelligence, and central bank digital currencies!
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
When I am tired, a 15-minute nap is all I need to stay engaged for another 5-7 hours.
What advice would you give your younger self?
To trade speed of execution with seeking clarification from superiors. Earlier in my career, I had been eager to demonstrate initiative and responsibility and not sought further clarification from superiors, which sometimes meant redoing an assignment. But I have fully readjusted and understand that superiors are there for a reason: to guide, lead, and direct.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
Christianity is the most difficult religion to practice because at its core is a call to act almost always against your natural instincts.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Be calm, no matter the circumstance!
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I take several deep breadths and then watch short clips of sporting events on YouTube. But I time myself to ensure that I do not spend too much time doing so.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I am humble with what I know; eager to know what I don’t; magnanimous when I beat peers/competitors; empathetic with persons who are less endowed intellectually, physically, or financially; and always thinking about how I can make my boss’ life a little less stressful. I am ruthless in chasing excellent grades and with answering questions during examinations.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
As deputy governor in the CBN, I disagreed with some of the governor’s policies. While I did so openly in several meetings with colleagues and staff, I did not make my positions public, which led to every management staff being held to the same blame when those policies failed spectacularly. The lesson I learned is that I could have been more forceful with my disagreement and, where possible, made my views public. I could have also resigned to protest those policies.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
EViews: I use it for econometric analysis and forecasting.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
My favorite book is Why Nations Fail by Acemoglu and Robinson. This is because it drills down to commonsensical reasons why some countries are rich and others are poor. It is all man-made!
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Presumed Innocent starring Jake Gyllenhaal on AppleTV. The setting is not different from many office settings (characterized by jealousy and romance), and the suspense was powerful.
Key learnings
- Disciplined time management and introspective planning are essential to maintaining high productivity and effective leadership, especially when overseeing complex economic and policy initiatives.
- Strategic idea implementation requires phased execution, beginning with rigorous risk assessment and mitigation, followed by incremental rollouts that allow for real-time adjustments.
- Humility, empathy, and a commitment to continuous learning are vital attributes for career growth, enabling collaboration, resilience, and long-term influence in competitive and high-stakes environments.
- Transparent dissent and principled stands in policy environments can be critical; failure to voice or act on professional disagreements may lead to shared responsibility for unsuccessful outcomes.
- Staying calm under pressure and using short, structured mental breaks—such as brief sports clips or power naps—can significantly improve focus and emotional control during high-stress situations.