Emir of Kano highlights power of Islamic finance to help those who need it the most

One of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, the Emir possesses a profile that can be considered unique in the financial world in Africa. A banker by training who secured Nigeria's top banking post, Emir Sanusi has used the worldwide recognition he gained for continued advocacy of developing a financial sector that is ethically sound and serves wider segments of society to enact sweeping reforms in his home country.

His Royal Highness has argued that proper financial regulation should be designed around those who depend on the financial sector, not those who profit the most from it. His direct experience of rebuilding the credibility of a financial system offers universal lessons as the world recovers from the global financial crisis.

Emir Sanusi became central bank governor for Nigeria in 2009 and led the efforts to tackle widespread fraud and protected depositors at 24 banks when their misdeeds had brought them, and the banking system as a whole, to the brink of collapse.

The Emir's participation complement the efforts of the Summit's host, Bank Negara Malaysia, to highlight the role of ethical finance in meeting the growing financial needs of the emerging markets' rising middle class. The Emir of Kano has been a longstanding believer that for ethical finance to fully become a part of a new worldview, it should not only incorporate Islamic finance into its future. Rather, it should also do so based on a shared belief that those in positions of responsibility, including those in the financial industry, must act in a way that helps others who are not in the same position.

The Summit aims to capitalise on emerging market growth of Islamic finance and the synergies that exist between Islamic finance and global responsible finance.

For more information on the Summit, please visit rf-summit.com. Join the conversation on responsible finance #RFS2016 @RFIFoundation