Nestlé appoints Oyebode as Board Chairman as Ifezulike retires

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.