Jobs/Appointments
LekOil Appoints Ajukwu After Fallout With Major Investor
By Adedapo Adesanya
Lekoil Limited, the oil and gas exploration and production company with a focus on Nigeria and West Africa, has announced the appointment of Mr Michael Ajukwu as chairman with immediate effect.
The appointment of Mr Ajukwu as the board chairman followed the resignation of Mr Mark Simmonds from the board.
A finance graduate of the University of Lagos, Mr Ajukwu also studied at the New York University, where he obtained an MBA in Accounting and Finance.
He served on the board of the defunct Bank PHB. In July 2018, he was appointed to the board of Sterling Bank Plc as an independent director. He is also on the board of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc as an independent non-executive director.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Ajukwu said, “I am honoured to assume the position of Chairman of Lekoil and would like to thank my predecessor, Mark Simmonds, for his contributions to the company.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board and the management of Lekoil to deliver a high performing company anchored on strong governance structures that produces value for all shareholders.”
Last week, shareholders voted on Friday to approve an investor’s bid to add three members to the company’s board, in the culmination of a bitter dispute between its founder and its biggest shareholder.
The dispute between Lekoil founder and chief executive, Mr Lekan Akinyanmi, and a top shareholder, Metallon, even drew in Nigeria’s Ministry of Petroleum and created more unwanted public turmoil for the company, which was caught out by a fraudulent loan last year.
A large majority of shareholders approved Metallon’s proposal to appoint Metallon CEO, Mr Thomas Richardson, along with two others to the Lekoil board, expanding it to seven members.
Outgoing chairman, Mr Mark Simmonds, said he would stand down with immediate effect and the newly enlarged board will appoint his replacement.
Metallon, a private investment company that owns four gold mines in Zimbabwe, became a shareholder of Lekoil last March and now has a 15.1 per cent stake, making it the top investor.
It says its proposal to expand the board will improve corporate governance and increase scrutiny of Lekoil’s finances.
Jobs/Appointments
Aradel Appoints Nnoli Akpedeye as Independent Non-Executive Director
By Adedapo Adesanya
Aradel Holdings Plc has appointed Ms Nnoli Akpedeye as an Independent Non-Executive Director, effective February 2, 2026, following a resolution passed at the company’s board meeting held on January 28, 2026.
In a notice to shareholders, Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, and the investing public, the company disclosed that the appointment is subject to ratification by shareholders at its next Annual General Meeting (AGM). The board also authorised the Company Secretary, Mrs Titiola Omisore, to notify relevant regulators and take all necessary steps to give effect to the decision.
Ms Akpedeye brings more than 36 years of multi-disciplinary experience spanning oil and gas, engineering, legal and arbitration services, and management consulting. Her career reflects a strong blend of technical expertise and strategic leadership, with competencies in management and strategy, business process engineering, organisational development and change management, as well as entrepreneurship development.
Until 2014, she served as Technical Planning Manager for Shell Exploration and Production Companies in Nigeria, where she led the execution of high-impact, mission-critical projects. Over the course of her career at Shell, she held roles across civil engineering design, planning and construction, project management, facility management, technical audit, and business planning and strategy, gaining extensive local and international exposure.
Beyond her corporate career, Ms Akpedeye is an entrepreneur and advocate for capacity building in engineering and energy. She runs Contego Servo Limited and Perfectus Laundi Limited, and in 2013, she launched the “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” programme aimed at encouraging secondary school girls in Nigeria to pursue careers in engineering and related STEM fields.
She is a Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN)-registered engineer, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), and a past President of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN). She is also a founding member of the Women in Energy Network (WIEN) and serves as a passionate ambassador for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.
In addition, Ms Akpedeye is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Compos Mentis Legal Practitioners and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Compos Mentis Foundation.
Her appointment further strengthens Aradel Holdings’ board with deep industry knowledge, governance experience, and a strong track record in leadership and institutional development, as the company continues to pursue its strategic objectives within Nigeria’s energy landscape.
Jobs/Appointments
Geregu Power Chooses Sean Manley as Interim CEO
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An interim chief executive has been appointed by Geregu Power Plc and he is Mr Sean Manley, with his appointment to take effect from Monday, February 2, 2026.
A statement from the power generating firm disclosed that his appointment is subject to the approval of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the shareholders of the company at the next general meeting.
In the notice, the organisation expressed confidence that the appointee would use his wealth of experience and leadership to “add significant value to the company.”
Mr Manley is said to be “a seasoned power-sector professional with a proven track record in delivering complex energy projects in developing markets.”
He is armed with more than 30 years’ experience spanning sales, business development, project implementation, supply-chain management, and OEM-led delivery within the power sector.
Over the course of his career with Siemens, Mr Manley has developed deep technical and operational expertise in thermal power generation, covering plant construction, commissioning, major overhauls, and long-term operational support.
He is widely regarded as a practical problem-solver, with a demonstrated ability to close projects in challenging operating environments and brings extensive international experience and strong intercultural skills acquired across multi-jurisdictional engagements.
His areas of expertise include the delivery of large, complex infrastructure projects, management of multi-million-dollar business units, client and stakeholder relationship management, business and market development, as well as logistics and procurement analysis critical to successful project execution.
The appointment of Mr Manley comes after Mr Femi Otedola divested his stake in the energy firm last month to support the recapitalisation of First Bank of Nigeria, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, which he chairs.
Jobs/Appointments
MTN CEO Ralph Mupita Joins Dangote Fertiliser Board as IPO Plans Pick Up
By Adedapo Adesanya
Dangote Industries has appointed the chief executive of MTN Group Limited, Mr Ralph Mupita, to the board of its fertilizer business as it prepares to expand and list the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The chief executive of Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Mr Vishwajit Sinha, confirmed this development on Wednesday ahead of the company’s initial public offering (IPO) on NGX this year.
Mr Mupita spearheaded the listing of MTN Nigeria’s on the Nigerian bourse in 2019, making it the second most valued company on NGX after BUA Foods Limited.
The South African engineer has headed Africa’s largest telco for more than five years after joining the group in 2017 as chief financial officer (CFO). Before that, he held senior positions at South African financial services group Old Mutual Limited.
Dangote Fertiliser produces about 3 million tons of granulated urea annually and plans to be the largest maker globally by 2028. To do this, it needs to expand its $2.5 billion complex in Lagos, and will start building a facility in Ethiopia this year.
Last year, the owner of the organisation, Mr Aliko Dangote, assured that the fertiliser business would list its shares on the local bourse like its sister companies, Dangote Cement, Dangote Sugar, and NASCON Allied Industries.
“In the next 40 months, our fertiliser business should generate $20 million in revenue per day. We are pushing hard. We expect to reach over $70 billion in revenue and possibly pay dividends of $3 to $4 billion. Our philosophy is to always think big,” he said when he welcomed some stakeholders in the Nigerian capital market to his $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lagos in June 2025.
Expanding regional trade could see agriculture grow to beyond $1 trillion by 2030, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB) and this creates a huge market for fertilizer firms on the continent, although the majority of farmers still struggle with limited access to finance, infrastructure and markets.
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