By Felix Onuah
ABUJA (Reuters) -Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu picked banker Olawale Edun on Thursday to advise on monetary policy, alongside others on security and energy, in a series of appointments to help steer a path of reforms in the West African country.
Tinubu, who took office last month, is embarking on Nigeria’s biggest reform agenda in decades, seeking solutions to low growth, rising inflation, mounting insecurity and a high debt burden in Africa’s largest economy.
He has taken on unifying multiple exchange rates and scrapping a costly fuel subsidy as his most immediate tasks, in moves cheered by investors.
Last week he suspended central bank governor Godwin Emefiele, who had kept the naira artificially strong and pursued unorthodox monetary policy by providing liquidity to money markets through interventions.
He has also suspended the head of the anti-corruption agency for alleged abuse of office.
On Thursday Tinubu picked Nuhu Ribadu, a former anti-corruption czar, to advise on security while he appointed Olu Verheijen to advise on energy, among others as his administration takes shape.
New lawmakers were sworn in this week following February elections, setting the stage for Tinubu to submit cabinet nominees in a process likely to signal how he intends to tackle a struggling economy and growing insecurity.
The naira hit a new record low 790 to the dollar on Thursday after the central bank lifted restrictions on Wednesday and allowed the currency to weaken by more than a third.
(Reporting by Felix OnuahWriting by Chijioke OhuochaEditing by Elaine Hardcastle and Frances Kerry)