By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Country Head of Olam Agri in Nigeria, Mr Ashish Pande, has been recognised as the Most Admired CEO in the agriculture sector in acknowledgement of the business’s positive impact on the sector and support for the federal government’s economic development agenda
Mr Pande clinched this award at the 2023 edition of the Nigerian Business Leadership Awards (NBLA), on Saturday, December 9 in Lagos.
A statement from the leading player in the agribusiness industry said the recognition further strengthened its position as one of the top investors in the local agriculture value chains.
Mr Pande, while receiving the award, said the company’s investments continue to enable improved productivity in the rice milling, wheat milling, animal feed & poultry, edible oil, tomato, and cotton production segments, in addition to generating thousands of employment opportunities for the teeming local population.
“We are grateful to the organisers of the awards for this recognition. The award recognition underlines Olam Agri’s rising investments across the agriculture value chains.
“These investments are part of our pursuit of food & nutrition-secure and sustainable Nigeria under the Seeds for The Future (SFTF) initiative.
“The Seeds for the Future initiative is our social sustainability investment vehicle with five levers, namely, supporting farms and farmers, enabling wider education and skill development for young people, empowering indigent women, promoting health and nutrition across the country, and reducing carbon emissions in our business operations,” Mr Pande, who was represented at the event, said.
The NBLA is organised annually by BusinessDay, a leading provider of business intelligence and market-moving news, to recognise remarkable business leaders and organisations that have sustained a commitment to excellence in enterprise across the country.
The publisher of the publication, Mr Frank Aigbogun, while speaking at the ceremony, said, “A top rating agency, Moody, recently raised Nigeria’s economic outlook for next year to positive.
“This news provides a reason for us to hope. In this context, we are glad to recognise the leaders and the companies that daily strive to put their businesses at the forefront to successfully navigate the operating environment and contribute to the growth of the economy. We celebrate these businesses and their leaders. I salute their courage and resilience. They deserve to be recognised.”
