Dr. Alex Otti
Website: https://abiastate.gov.ng/
Office Date: May 2023
Address: Government House, Abia
Birth Date: 18th February 1965
Birth State: Abia State
Political Party: Labour Party (LP)
State: Abia State
Alex Otti is a Nigerian economist, banker, investor, philanthropist, and politician. He was a gubernatorial candidate of Abia State on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Although he contested the governorship election in Abia State and there was a period of uncertainty regarding the election results, the Supreme Court of Nigeria eventually affirmed the election of Okezie Ikpeazu as Governor.
Otti was born to the family of the late Pastor and Mrs. Lazarus Weze Otti at Umuru, Umuehim village in Ehi Na Uguru Ancient Kingdom, Isiala Ngwa South LGA of Abia State. He excelled academically during his secondary school education at Ngwa High School, Aba, and Secondary Technical School, Okpuala Ngwa in Abia State. He proceeded to the University of Port Harcourt, where he graduated with a First Class honors degree in economics in 1988. He furthered his education by earning an MBA degree from the University of Lagos in 1994 and attending various international courses, including executive development programs at Columbia Business School, Stanford Business School, Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania), and an executive program at INSEAD in France.
Otti began his banking career in 1989 at the Nigerian International Bank, a subsidiary of Citibank New York. He subsequently worked at Nigerian Intercontinental Merchant Bank Ltd, Societe Bancaire Nigeria Limited (Merchant Bankers), United Bank for Africa (UBA), and First Bank of Nigeria, where he held various positions of increasing responsibility. In March 2011, he became the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank, leading the bank through a major transformation.
Outside his banking career, Otti has been involved in philanthropic activities and serves as a member of the editorial board of Thisday, a Nigerian newspaper. He writes a fortnightly column titled "Outside The Box."