Photo caption : Wolemi Esan, SAN and Dr. Julius Omodayo-Owotuga.
The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company PLC (NAHCO Aviance) has appointed two new directors to its board.
The newly-appointed Non-Executive Directors are Mr. Wolemi Esan, SAN and Dr. Julius B. Omodayo-Owotuga.
The appointments came on the heels of the retirement of two long-serving directors of the company: Mr. Akinwumi Fanimokun, Independent Non-Executive Director/Vice Chairman and Mr. Taofeeq Salman, a Non-Executive Director.
In a notice to the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NGX) signed by the Company Secretary, Mr. Bello Abdullahi, the company said their retirement from the Board of Directors is effective from June 15th, 2026 and June 30th, 2026 respectively after serving on the Board for eight years.
“Mr. Akinwumi G. Fanimokun still holds substantial shares in the Company even after his retirement as a result of age,” the statement added.
The new Director, Mr. Wolemi Esan, SAN, is a distinguished legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria with over two decades of experience representing leading corporates, financial institutions and government agencies in complex commercial disputes, high-stakes litigation and domestic and international arbitration.
He also advises clients on corporate governance, energy and infrastructure projects, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory matters.
Esan has advised on several landmark logistics, transportation and infrastructure projects, including rail, port and airport concession transactions.
He is also a trusted adviser to boards and executive management on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, enterprise risk and strategic corporate transactions.
Esan is consistently ranked by leading international legal directories, including Chambers Global, IFLR1000 and Legal 500, for his expertise in commercial law.
He holds an LL.B from Lagos State University, a BL from the Nigerian Law School, an LL.M from University College London as a Jeremy Bentham Scholar, and an MBA from Durham University.
Dr. Julius Omodayo-Owotuga, on his part is a highly accomplished finance and governance expert with extensive leadership experience in Nigeria’s power, oil, and financial sectors.
He holds CFA Charter, fellowships with ICAN, CITN, and the Institute of Credit Administration.
He is also a member of the Institute of Directors of Nigeria. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Oxford Saïd Business School, Master in Business Administration (distinction)from IE Business School and B.Sc. in Accounting from the University of Lagos.
Omodayo-Owotuga also attended Geneva Business School and other executive programmes and was the Deputy CEO of Geregu Power Plc, Nigeria’s first listed power generation company, leading its transformation from public sector to market-driven enterprise, capital raising, governance strengthening, and operational efficiencies.
Omodayo-Owotuga was the Group Executive Director of Forte Oil (now Ardova Plc), transforming it from loss-making to profitable.
He also worked at Africa Finance Corporation as ALM Specialist, managing assets, liabilities, and funding and held senior roles at Standard Chartered Bank and KPMG, gaining expertise in financial reporting, IFRS, audit, and risk management.
Omodayo-Owotuga managed relationships with multilateral institutions and supported infrastructure finance.
He serves on the Board of Quant Investment Managers, and others.
He is presently an Executive Director of First Bank of Nigeria Limited.
Similarly, the company also announced the appointment of Mr. Tajudeen Shobayo, FCA, an existing Non-Executive Director, as the Vice Chairman to replace the retired Vice Chairman with effect from July 1, 2026
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