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Abiola Bawuah Emerges First Female UBA Africa CEO

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Abiola Bawuah

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A Ghanaian national, Mrs Abiola Bawuah, has been appointed as the first female chief executive for UBA Africa, a statement from the financial institution has said.

With her appointment, she joins the group board as an executive director, overseeing the organisation’s operations across the African continent, outside Nigeria.

According to the disclosure from the lender, the appointment of Mrs Buwuah demonstrates its commitment to diversity, bringing the total number of female directors in the UBA Group Board to eight.

Prior to her appointment, Mrs Bawuah was Regional CEO of West Africa, supervising the group’s operations in nine subsidiaries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. She previously held the role of the CEO of UBA Ghana.

“Abiola has contributed significantly to the growth of UBA Africa for close to a decade. She brings a wealth of experience in commercial banking and stakeholder engagement.

“It also gives me great pleasure that with her appointment, the UBA Group Board has now become a majority female board,” the Group Board Chairman of UBA Plc, Mr Tony Elumelu, said.

Also, UBA Group has appointed Mr Chris Ofikulu as the Regional CEO of UBA West Africa. The appointee has over two decades of banking experience spanning corporate, commercial, and retail banking.

In addition, Mr Uzoechina Molokwu will take on the role of Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of UBA Ghana, subject to local regulatory approvals. He was previously the Executive Director for Business Development at UBA Côte d’Ivoire and has over 23 years of banking experience.

Further, Mr Ayokunle Olajubu has been asked to take charge of UBA Liberia, subject to local regulatory approvals. He currently drives compliance across African subsidiaries and comes with 30 years of banking experience in Nigeria and other African countries, including Sierra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire and the Gambia.

In the statement, UBA disclosed that Ms Theresa Henshaw has been appointed as CEO of UBA UK, subject to local regulatory approvals. She was previously the DMD, Business Development, UBA America and joined the Group as ED, Business Development at UBA UK.

Similarly, Mr Usman Isiaka, currently the CEO of UBA Sierra Leone, will be the Deputy CEO of UBA America, subject to local regulatory approvals, while Mr Adeyemi Adeleke, the former CEO of UBA UK, is now the Group Treasurer. He will be working to unlock the immense value in the Group’s multi-jurisdictional balance sheet, leveraging on its presence in 24 countries within and beyond Africa.

Meanwhile, UBA has announced the retirement of Mr Samuel Oni, an independent non-executive Director, from the board following the expiration of his tenure.

He joined the UBA Group in January 2015 and served on the board of the group for eight years.

In the statement, Mr Elumelu thanked him for his commitment, leadership and extensive contributions to the UBA Group, wishing him the best in all his future endeavours.

UBA operates in 19 African countries beyond Nigeria, in addition to global operations in New York, London, Paris and the UAE. The company provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting-edge technology.

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Chemical and Allied Products Appoints Jethro Iruobe as Executive Director

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Jethro Iruobe

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The chief operating officer of Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Plc, Mr Jethro Iruobe, has been appointed as an executive director.

A statement from the organisation disclosed that the appointment is effective June 25, 2026.

In his new role, Mr Iruobe will participate in the formulation and execution of the company’s strategic priorities, provide executive leadership across critical functions, and contribute to its continued growth, sustainability and success.

The new board member joined the firm in 2019 as Head of Human Resources before growing to become the COO, with responsibility for Human Resources, Corporate Communications, Administration, Fleet and Commercial Excellence.

He has over 19 years of experience across a range of industries, including financial services, consulting, FMCG and manufacturing, having begun his career in banking before kicking off his HR career at KPMG and going on to hold senior roles at Promasidor Nigeria, Coca-Cola HBC and TGI Nigeria.

Throughout his career, he has supported organisations in building high-performing teams and driving sustainable business growth.

Beyond his corporate responsibilities, he is a columnist with Business Day Newspaper, a trained relationship counsellor and co-author, and a recipient of awards in both the human resources profession and other platforms.

Mr Iruobe holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Benin and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Manchester Business School, United Kingdom. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and also holds the Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) certification awarded by the Human Resource Certification Institute.

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Board Picks Malolan Sampath as Champion Breweries CEO After Adoga’s Exit

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Malolan Sampath

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Mr Malolan Sampath has been appointed as the new chief executive of Champion Breweries Plc, effective September 1, 2026.

The appointment of a new chief executive was approved by the board of the brewery giant following the resignation of Mr Inalegwu Adoga.

To ensure continuity during the transition pending Mr Sampath’s assumption of office, the board has appointed Mr Rasheed Ademola Adebiyi, Executive Director of Finance, to take charge of the affairs of the organisation.

In a statement, the board said it remains committed to the highest standards of corporate governance and to delivering a seamless leadership transition and sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders.

The new Sheriff in town, expected to take over next quarter, was described as an accomplished executive with over 26 years of international leadership experience across the beverage, FMCG, manufacturing and agro-industrial sectors, having built and led businesses up to $500 million in scale.

His beverage and brewing experience includes serving as Managing Director of Unique Beverages in Angola and as Sales & Marketing Director for a PepsiCo bottling franchise, in addition to earlier brewing-sector experience.

Most recently, he held the dual role of Managing Director (NPK Joint Venture) and Chief Marketing Officer at Indorama Eleme Fertilisers in Nigeria and previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Global Industries Limited, a Wilmar International joint venture in Zambia.

He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management (MBA) from the Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD, Pune, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Chennai.

The board expressed confidence that his expertise in manufacturing excellence, commercial execution and business transformation will support the company’s strategic objectives and long-term growth.

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Julius Berger Appoints Muiz Banire, Chinazo Okoye to Board

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muiz banire

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Erudite legal practitioner, Mr Muiz Banire (SAN), has been appointed to the board of a construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.

He joins the board of the organisation as a non-executive director, with effect from July 1, 2026, alongside Mrs Chinazo Okoye, who is an alternate director to Dr Ernest N. Azudialu-Obiejesi.

A statement from the company secretary, Ms Cecilia Ekanem Madueke, said Mrs Okoye is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Master of Engineering Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA, and a Master of Science Degree in Professional Accountancy from the University of London, London, UK.

She is a Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. She has worked in various positions in various companies and is currently the Managing Director of Amaranta Trading Limited.

As for Mr Banire, he is a graduate of the University of Lagos and holds a Master of Laws Degree as well as a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the same university.

He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1989. He also holds a Master Certificate in the Arbitration Master Course from the Lagos Court of Arbitration Training Institute. He was admitted to the Inner Bar and conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He is a Member of the International Bar Association, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Fellow of the Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Institute of Management. He is registered with the Law Society of England.

He had served in various capacities in the Legal profession, academic community and publicly. He was conferred with the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

He is the Founder and Principal Partner, M. A. Banire & Associates, Member of the Board of Trustees, Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State, and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

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