By ebosele@hotmail.com
The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO Aviance) has announced the appointment of two new non-executive directors to its Board of Directors as part of a leadership transition following the retirement of two long-serving board members.
City Business News reports that the newly appointed directors are Mr. Wolemi Esan, SAN, and Dr. Julius B. Omodayo-Owotuga. Their appointments follow the retirement of Mr. Akinwumi Godson Fanimokun, Independent Non-Executive Director and Vice Chairman, and Mr. Taofeeq Oluwatoyin Salman, Non-Executive Director.
In a notice to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) signed by the Company Secretary, Mr. Bello A. Abdullahi, NAHCO stated that the retirements took effect on June 15 and June 30, 2026, respectively, after both directors served on the board for eight years.
The company noted that Mr. Fanimokun, despite his retirement due to age, remains a substantial shareholder in NAHCO.
Providing details on the new appointments, the company described Mr. Esan as a distinguished legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria with more than two decades of experience advising leading corporations, financial institutions, and government agencies on complex commercial disputes, high-value litigation, domestic and international arbitration, corporate governance, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, as well as regulatory matters.
According to the statement, Esan has played key advisory roles in landmark logistics, transportation and infrastructure projects, including rail, port and airport concession transactions. He has also earned recognition from leading international legal directories such as Chambers Global, IFLR1000 and Legal 500 for his expertise in commercial law.
His academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Laws degree from Lagos State University, a Barrister-at-Law qualification from the Nigerian Law School, a Master of Laws degree from University College London as a Jeremy Bentham Scholar, and a Master of Business Administration from Durham University.
The second appointee, Dr. Julius B. Omodayo-Owotuga, brings extensive experience in finance, corporate governance and business leadership spanning Nigeria’s power, oil and gas, and financial services sectors.
A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), and the Institute of Credit Administration, Omodayo-Owotuga also holds membership of the Institute of Directors of Nigeria.
His academic credentials include a Doctorate in Business Administration from Oxford Saïd Business School, an MBA with distinction from IE Business School, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos, alongside executive education at Geneva Business School and other international institutions.
Before joining the NAHCO board, he served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Geregu Power Plc, where he led the company’s transformation into Nigeria’s first listed power generation company, overseeing governance reforms, capital raising initiatives and operational improvements.
He also served as Group Executive Director of Forte Oil Plc (now Ardova Plc), where he helped return the company to profitability. His professional experience also includes senior positions at Africa Finance Corporation, Standard Chartered Bank and KPMG, where he gained expertise in infrastructure finance, financial reporting, audit, risk management and asset-liability management.
Currently, Omodayo-Owotuga serves as an Executive Director at First Bank of Nigeria Limited and sits on the boards of Quant Investment Managers and other organisations.
In a related development, NAHCO announced the appointment of Mr. Tajudeen Omoshola Shobayo, FCA, an existing Non-Executive Director, as the company’s new Vice Chairman.
His appointment took effect on July 1, 2026, succeeding the retired Vice Chairman, Mr. Fanimokun, as the company strengthens its corporate governance structure and leadership team.
