Personality in Focus
Nestlé Board: Ifezulike Out, Oyebode In As New Chairman
The Board of Nestlé Nigeria PLC has appointed Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, MFR, as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors with effect from May 18, 2023.
The appointment announced to shareholders and other stakeholders at the Annual General Meeting of Nestlé Nigeria PLC, held at the MUSON Center on May 17, 2023, follows the retirement of Mr. David Ifezulike as a Director and the Chairman of the Board of the Company with effect from May 18, 2023.
Mr. Oyebode qualified as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria
in 1980. He holds a Master of Laws degree and is the co-founder of the law firm of Aluko & Oyebode. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and the Nigerian Leadership Initiative. He is the Chairman of Okomu Oil Palm PLC, Teach for All, and the African Philanthropy Forum. He is also a Director of both CFAO Nigeria and Lafarge Africa PLC as well as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ford Foundation.
Mr. Oyebode was first appointed to the Board of Nestlé Nigeria PLC on February 24, 2014, and has served on the Statutory Audit Committee, Nomination, Governance and Remuneration Committee as well as the Board Audit and Risk Management Committee of the Company.
Mr. Ifezulike who holds a Masters in Management Science and a Diploma of
Imperial College, London, was appointed to the Board of Nestlé Nigeria PLC on December 22, 2000. He became the Chairman of the Board on May 10, 2013 and served the Company meritoriously during his tenure.
He joined Nestlé Nigeria PLC on January 1,1980 and worked for over 26 years in various capacities and locations including Nigeria, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Switzerland, and Ghana. He was on an international exchange program as Factory Manager of Nestlé Ghana between May 1999 and April 2003.
He retired from Nestlé Nigeria PLC as the Executive Director, Industrial Development in October 2006.
The Board of Nestlé Nigeria PLC thanked Mr. Ifezulike for his contributions to the growth of the Company and wished him success in his future endeavours.
The Board of Nestlé Nigeria PLC also expressed confidence in the ability of the new Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Oyebode, to further contribute to the development of the Company and wished him personal satisfaction in his new role.
As part of its ongoing transformation from a training institute to a regulatory authority, the Director-General/CEO of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare (Dr) Abisoye Fagade, has embarked on a high-level courtesy visits to key government agencies.
These engagements aim to foster collaboration, enhance industry standards, and strengthen NIHOTOUR’s regulatory framework for the hospitality, travel, and tourism sector.
So far, Dr. Fagade has met with top officials, including Mr. Ayodele Subair, Executive Chairman of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS); Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); and Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Discussions focused on strategic partnerships to ensure compliance, professional certification, and improved service delivery within the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry.
“Our vision is clear – to build a robust, well-regulated travel, hospitality, and tourism sector that meets global standards. This transition requires strong collaboration with key agencies to align our training, certification, and regulatory frameworks with international best practices,” said Dr. Abisoye Fagade.
With more agencies scheduled for engagement, NIHOTOUR remains committed to promoting excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s travel, hospitality, and tourism industry.
Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Uche Orji as an Independent Non-Executive Director of its flagship subsidiary, Access Bank Plc.
The Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, said the appointment, which takes effect from January 7, 2025, has been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“This appointment reflects our commitment to enhancing our governance practices and ensuring a diverse and experienced board”, Access Holdings said.
Orji is a renowned investment banking professional, information technology entrepreneur, and finance expert with three decades of professional and board experience. He is the Co-founder and Partner of Titangate Capital Management, an equity firm that invests in deep-tech, enterprise software, semi-conductors, hardware, and artificial intelligence companies.
Orji is the Founder and Director of Vitesse Africa Limited, an investment advisory firm focused on African energy, technology and infrastructure sectors.
He serves as an Executive Board member and investor in Ultrasafe AI, an artificial intelligence/IT development firm that maintains strategic collaborations with leading technology companies.
He also sits on the Board of Private Infrastructure Development Group, London, and chairs the Risk Committee.
Previously, Orji served as the founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
He held positions as Managing Director and Senior Analyst at UBS Securities Limited New York and Managing Director and Head of European Technology/Semiconductor Equity Research at JP Morgan Securities, London.
He also served as Executive Director/Portfolio Manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, London. Earlier in his career, he was Acting Financial Controller at Diamond Bank Limited and an Audit Trainee at Arthur Andersen & Co.
He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Commenting on the appointment, the Chairman of the Bank, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), said: “Mr. Orji has been appointed based on his exceptionally rich professional, academic, and corporate board experience which will be invaluable to the Bank as we continue to pursue our strategic objectives.
“We are confident that his addition to the Board would further enrich the quality of our decision-making process, enabling us to deliver even greater value to our customers and stakeholders.
“His appointment has been made in accordance with the Bank’s internal policies and has been notified to all relevant regulatory authorities underscoring our commitment to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance.
“On behalf of the Board, Management and staff, I warmly welcome Mr. Orji to the Board and look forward to his contributions towards our goal of becoming one of the top five African banks in the shortest possible time.”
A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lt Gen. Jeremiah Useni (retd), is dead.
He passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 after a protracted illness.
His death was announced in a statement issued in Jos by Gyang Bere, the Director of Press and Public Affairs to Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang.
He described the of the former Minister and Quarter Master General of the Nigerian Army as a tremendous loss not only to his immediate family but also to the Nigerian Armed Forces, Plateau State, and the entire nation.
Highlighting the roles played by the late army general, Governor Mutfwang noted that he left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s security and political landscape with his tireless efforts to promote peace and security, especially in Northern Nigeria and Plateau State.
The governor prayed that god grants the family, plateau state, and the nation the strength and fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss, and also asked for God’s divine presence to comfort and provide solace in the days ahead.
