News
Airtel Nigeria Names Owolabi as HR Director
Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has announced the appointment of Gbemiga Owolabi as director, Human Resources.
According to the telco, the appointment, which takes effect immediately, aligns with its core philosophy of empowering and creating opportunities for exceptionally talented professionals in line with its aspirations of becoming the employer of first choice in Nigeria.
Owolabihas over 20 years’ experience spanning international HR, talent management, employee engagement, capability development and HR operations.
He has worked in Nigeria, United Kingdom and East Africa, starting his career with Lennards Nigeria Plc in 1990 as HR Manager and subsequently joined Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC) in 1994 as HR Manager, where he managed HR in the largest Coca-Cola manufacturing plant in Nigeria.
In 2007, he Joined BG Exploration & Production Nigeria Ltd as the HR Manager and managed the development and embedding of an Employee Value Proposition in the company.
He was later transferred to the United Kingdom headquarters of the parent company (BG Group) in 2009 and appointed as HR Manager of Dragon LNG in Wales, a joint company of BG Group with Petronas of Malaysia.
On this assignment, he marshaled the attainment of competency assurance standard in the company which is a license to operate requirement in the industry.
Owolabi was appointed as the Head of HR & Admin for BG East Africa in 2011 and led the development and execution of the country entry strategy, creation of a functional HR and subsequently, a revised HR strategy to manage the high growth company in East Africa spanning Tanzania, Kenya and Madagascar business units.
He holds an MSc Industrial Relations & Personnel Management degree (University of Lagos) and an MBA Marketing (Obafemi Awolowo University).
He is an alumnus of Advance Management Programme (Lagos Business School) and a member of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Nigeria.
The company also announced the appointments of Sina Adegoke and Col. Awadhesh Kumar Kalia as Regional Operations Director, West Region and Chief Technical Officer, respectively.
Adegoke, has over 19 years of Sales Management and Leadership experience across the Telecommunications, Finance, FMCG and Pharmaceutical industries. Prior to his appointment, he worked at Etisalat Nigeria as the Head of Region (South West) between 2013 and 2015.
He has also held various leadership positions in Coca-Cola and May & Baker Plc.
Adegoke holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Obafemi Awolowo University and MBA (Marketing) from the same University.
Awadhesh, a retired Military Colonel was Chief Technical Officer for Airtel Nigeria from September 2010 to January 2014. As Chief Technical Officer, he will be responsible for the delivery of network pillars to support Airtel’s achievement of business objectives, and will provide overall leadership of Networks in Nigeria
Speaking on the new appointments, Segun Ogunsanya, chief executive officer and managing director of Airtel Nigeria, said the telco is committed to empowering exceptionally talented Nigerians and also creating value for all its stakeholders.
EFCC
The African Development Bank Group last week approved an investment of €6.5 million in the Saviu II fund in order to support technology start-ups through their seed phase and first institutional fundraising, mainly in French-speaking Central and West Africa.
The Bank will invest €4.5 million as equity and €2 million as a first-loss hedging tranche on behalf of the European Commission, under the Boost Africa Programme.
This participation of the Bank Group will enable the Saviu II fund to give priority to companies with a strong technological or digital component.
Saviu II, the second investment vehicle of Saviu Partners, plans to invest between €500,000 and €3 million in about 20 technology or technology-oriented business-to-business start-ups in the seed phase or carrying out first institutional fundraising.
The Saviu II venture capital fund aims to make at least 60% of its commitments in the French-speaking countries of West and Central Africa: Côte d ‘Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.
The fund can also co-invest in promising technology companies in East Africa that have a strong team and business model, and whose strategy includes entering the market in French-speaking West African countries and establishing a strong presence there.
In addition, the fund will devote a dedicated envelope to pre-seed investments, focusing on minority equity investments, usually in co-investment with studios, incubators or other ecosystem partners.
Nigerian Government has signed a $1.3 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) via the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) to fund an alumina refinery, national geoscience mapping, and a strategic investment vehicle for mining growth.
Special Assistant to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, said the refinery will process one million tonnes of bauxite yearly using a modern Bayer process, powered by an on-site gas-fired cogeneration plant.
Minister Dele Alake called it a transformative milestone boosting GDP, aligning with reforms that improve investment climate, regulations, and licensing to attract private capital. He directed agencies to fast-track permits.
The 20-year project at 95% utilization eyes 19 million tonnes total output, $1.2 billion annual GDP addition, $25 billion economic impact, and $8 billion forex earnings, per feasibility studies.
SMDF Executive Secretary Fatima Shinkafi termed it the agency’s biggest funding deal, supporting value-addition policy.
The partnership extends to geoscience mapping for mineral data, de-risking exploration, and a joint vehicle for mining assets.
Permanent Secretary Engr. Farouk Yabo praised the reforms. Shinkafi signed for government; AFC’s Franklin Edochie for the corporation, witnessed by AFC CEO Samaila Zubairu.
Tomori positioned it as Nigeria’s largest private mining investment and FDI magnet.
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