The Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS) has announced the appointment of Shehu Yahaya Shantali as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2026, following receipt of regulatory no-objection.
Shantali will succeed Haruna Jalo-Waziri, who is set to step down after an eight-year tenure marked by strategic growth, operational reforms, and significant contributions to the development of Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure.
During his time as CEO, Jalo-Waziri led a series of transformative initiatives that strengthened governance, improved operational effectiveness, and modernised CSCS’ systems and processes.
His leadership enhanced stakeholder confidence, expanded the company’s relevance within and outside Nigeria, and positioned the organisation for long-term resilience and competitiveness.
Commenting on the transition, Chairman of the Board, Temi Popoola, commended the outgoing CEO for his service and welcomed the incoming chief executive.
“On behalf of the Board, I would like to express our profound appreciation to Haruna Jalo-Waziri for his outstanding service to CSCS.
Under his leadership, the Company recorded notable milestones and built an impressive legacy of operational excellence, innovation, and stakeholder confidence,” Popoola said.
He added that the Board was confident in Shantali’s ability to lead the company into its next phase of growth, citing his extensive industry experience and strategic vision.
Shantali holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and an Executive MBA from Kingster Business School.
He has over 20 years of experience across accounting, finance, and financial services in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, with expertise in investment and asset management, financial advisory services, and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
His career spans capital markets, investment banking, real estate, and financial services, including a decade at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria.
At the SEC, he played a key role in the migration of publicly listed and major public interest entities from Nigerian GAAP to IFRS and led the Commission’s transition to the contributory pension scheme in 2012.
Shantali has also been involved in advancing financial inclusion and digital financial infrastructure. As Managing Director and CEO of Apricot Investments Limited, he led the development of the MicroWorld platform, which supports the distribution of structured financial products such as micro-health, micro-pension, micro-insurance, and micro-investment solutions.
Earlier in his career, he contributed to the development of Nigeria’s first contactless payment solution and played a pioneering role in POS-based agency banking and early mobile-money interoperability on the NIBSS NIP platform.
Reflecting on his exit, Jalo-Waziri described his tenure as an honour and expressed confidence in the company’s future. “I am proud of what we have achieved together as a team and grateful for the support of the Board, management, regulators, and stakeholders,” he said.
In his remarks, Shantali said he was honoured by the Board’s confidence and pledged to work with key stakeholders to strengthen CSCS’ leadership position and support the continued growth and stability of Nigeria’s capital market.
CSCS reaffirmed its commitment to high standards of corporate governance, operational excellence, and stakeholder engagement.
The CSCS is a public limited entity with a diversified shareholder base that includes the Nigerian Exchange Group, major Nigerian banks, private equity firms, investment banks, and other corporate and individual investors.
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