FirstBank Appoints Chinwe Egwim as Chief Economist to Strengthen Macroeconomic and Risk Intelligence Function

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FirstBank of Nigeria has appointed Chinwe Egwim as its new Chief Economist, in a strategic move aimed at reinforcing the bank’s macroeconomic capability and deepening the integration of economic intelligence into its senior executive decision-making structure.

The appointment positions Egwim within FirstBank’s senior executive management, where she will oversee enterprise-wide economic intelligence and contribute to shaping how the institution interprets macroeconomic conditions across its operations. Her role is expected to directly support key financial governance functions, including balance sheet positioning, liquidity assessment, and economic risk management across the bank’s multi-market footprint.

Egwim joins the role as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, bringing a background rooted in macroeconomic analysis, policy advisory, and institutional strategy across financial and public sector environments. Her work has focused on how institutions evaluate risk, allocate capital, and respond to shifting economic and market conditions.

Her professional experience spans engagements with monetary and fiscal authorities, multilateral institutions, and global policy platforms. She previously served as a National Consultant on a United Nations programme focused on services trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), delivered through UNECA and UNCTAD frameworks. She has also contributed to Nigeria’s Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee and served on the Board of Economists at BusinessDay Nigeria.

Within the financial sector, Egwim has been involved in executive-level discussions across institutions, contributing insights on market direction, macroeconomic positioning, and long-term investment outlooks. She has also participated in Asset and Liability Committee (ALCO) processes and supported board-level engagements within financial institutions, particularly in relation to risk alignment and balance sheet strategy.

Her academic background includes studies at Harvard Kennedy School, where she focused on global leadership and public policy, alongside academic training at the European School of Economics in Milan, Kingston University in London, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana.

The appointment underscores FirstBank’s continued emphasis on strengthening internal economic intelligence capabilities as financial institutions navigate increasingly complex macroeconomic conditions, where data-driven analysis and strategic interpretation of economic trends are becoming central to institutional resilience and decision-making.