BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
Dr Rabiu Onaolapo Olowo is the current Executive Secretary, Chief Executive officer CEO of Financial Reporting Council (FRC), statutorily charged with monitoring and regulating financial reporting and statements in the country.
Rabiu , appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023 has demonstrated leadership acumen just six months down the line, as a financial expert with both public and private exposures.
He is the immediate past Commissioner for Finance and the 22nd in a row of Finance commissioners in Lagos state, in the first term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu between 2019-2023.
As a financial guru with solid academic background to back it up, Olowo who became a Chartered accountant of ICAN status soon after graduation, left the university as a first class graduate, and later had his Masters and Doctorate degree from the University of Lagos.
His appointment as commissioner for finance Lagos state at 34 was laced with accolades as the youngest commissioner in the cabinet of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the last dispensation.
Olowo who believed in service and dint of hardwork is an award winner of international status and recently honored by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) for his leadership roles.
Within two years as Lagos Finance Commissioner inspite pandemic of COVID management and Endsars protest, he jerked up the internally generated revenues from down to 20 Billion to doing more than thrice in the cosmopolitan Lagos state.
Aside quantum revenue generation that upped the provision of infrastructure development in Lagos and social services, Olowo attracted a whooping six hundred billion naira from the stock market for the accelerated development of Lagos state, the largest in any sub- national in the country, inspite of COVID pandemic, lockdowns and other competing artificial phenomenon.
Lagos state was rated AA+ interms of fiscal discipline, budget performance , fund management and financial regulations during his time as Commissioner for Finance in the state.
With his giant strides in the top echelon of Lagos Finance Ministry , his elevation to the National level and appointment as Executive Secretary, Chief Executive officer CEO, of a federal parastatal was not a suprise , as this was a clear price for hardwork and more elevation for his giant strides in the public service.
His short stint at FRC has revolutionized the activities of the moribund agency through automation of it’s activities among many other initiatives that had brought back it’s lost glory.
Olowo introduced and initiated series of programs and policies that will consolidate it’s mandate and introduced reforms that will give way to the current demands of the 21st century.
His cardinal objectives using DOSE as a better approach towards genuine reforms and the recently launched SME -CGG to galvanize the activities of the small and medium scale actors towards a better economy in spite the precarious economic situations has rated him high in recent times.
The award winner of under fourty years international award had laid a solid foundation towards sane financial reporting in the country against the business as usual of the previous order.
As you mark the journey of life @ 39 , signifying the general belief that life begins at fourty, no doubt , your dint of hardwork, giant strides and success story had clearly showed that you have excelled in all areas even before you begin your life sojourn.
This positive development is a rare achievements in human race and a sign of better things to come, through hardwork and Gods guidance, as you journey to mark your birthday at 39.
Congratulations and Happy Birthday, wishing you many more years in the services of your fatherland.
Yusuf, Writes from Abuja on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
