We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Haydar Daudu as Head of Regulatory Affairs and Policy, West Africa at LemFi. Haydar will lead our regulatory and policy engagement across West Africa, working closely with our legal, compliance and finance teams.
Who is Dr Haydar Daudu?
An economist and former public-sector adviser, Haydar previously advised the Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, at the Central Bank of Nigeria. He also served as Senior Economist and Chief of Staff at the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation. He holds a PhD in Economics from Nile University of Nigeria, a first-class degree in Economics from the University of Essex and an MSc in Development Economics and Policy from the University of Manchester.
The Work Ahead
Nigeria remains one of the world's largest remittance markets. According to the World Bank, the country received an estimated US$19.5 billion in diaspora remittances in 2023, around 35% of the total for sub-Saharan Africa and the largest of any country in the region. Money sent home by people living and working abroad is a vital source of support for millions of families, and a growing share now moves through regulated channels like LemFi: the Central Bank of Nigeria reported that inflows through international money transfer operators rose by around 44% in 2024, to US$4.73 billion.
That money moves within a regulatory framework that keeps evolving.
"As LemFi continues to grow, we are investing in the senior leadership needed to engage regulators openly, understand evolving policy expectations and maintain the high standards our customers and partners expect. Haydar brings a rare combination of economic-policy experience, regulatory understanding and practical insight into the markets we serve,” said Ridwan Olalere, co-founder and CEO of LemFi.
In the role, Haydar will:
- Lead our regulatory and policy engagement across West Africa, with an early focus on Nigeria
- Work alongside our legal, compliance and finance teams to meet applicable regulatory requirements as we expand
- Bring policy insight into how we build, so regulatory expectations shape decisions early rather than after the fact
- Represent LemFi in the wider conversation on how cross-border money should be governed
"For me, good policy is ultimately about whether institutions and markets work better for people. Cross-border finance has enormous potential to connect families, businesses and economies, but that potential depends on trust, sound regulation and institutions that can keep pace with innovation. I am joining LemFi to help build that bridge: engaging regulators openly, bringing policy insight into the business, and ensuring that growth across West Africa is responsible, credible and genuinely useful to the people we serve,” said Haydar Daudu, Head of Regulatory Affairs and Policy, West Africa.
Our Commitment
The appointment reflects our commitment to constructive, transparent engagement with regulators and to meeting applicable regulatory requirements as we expand across West Africa. We're glad to have Haydar leading that work as we build for the millions of people who trust us to move their money across borders.
