Willie Obiano – Nigerian Banker

As a former banker, Willie Obiano was responsible for a healthy economy and has been able to do some big infrastructure driven changes in the state. From bridges to new roadways, even making advances in agriculture and rural developments, which have advanced the environment small and medium businesses are in.

In 1981, Obiano started his banking career at the First Bank of Nigeria before becoming an accountant for Chevron Oil Nigeria Plc. Then, in 1989, he was an auditor for the Texaco Refinery in the Netherlands. After that, he joined the Fidelity Bank in 1991 and was the head of the Audit unit and the deputy manager.

After his banking career, Obiano moved into politics and became the Governor of Anambra State in Nigeria. In 2016, Obiano was named as one of the 100 most influential people in Nigeria by Y! Or Ynaija.com for his work.

The unisex name Willie is a diminutive of William, which is from the Germanic name Willahelm that is made up of the elements wil that means “desire” or “will” and helm that means “protection” or “helmet”. In many cases, colonial names, like Willie or William were used in many places in Nigeria.

There are many notable people with the given name, from Willie Colon the American football player to Willie Cauley-Stein the American Basketball player. There are even many fictional characters with the name, including Willie and the Wildcat, which is the mascot of the Kansas State University and the Northwestern University, or Groundskeeper Willie from the Simpsons.