Dangote Sugar appoints Yemisi Ayeni as independent director

Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has announced the appointment of Yemisi Ayeni as an Independent Non-Executive Director.

In a statement, the company’s board of directors approved her appointment on March 20, 2025, highlighting her wealth of experience in finance, corporate governance, and strategic leadership.

Ayeni, an accomplished finance professional, graduated with honors in Economics from the University of Manchester, UK, in 1985. She became a Chartered Accountant in 1989 and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Her career spans over three decades, beginning with PwC in London before returning to Nigeria in 1991. She later joined Shell Nigeria, where she held multiple leadership roles, including serving as the Finance Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production Co. Ltd (SNEPCo), making history as the first Nigerian woman appointed to the Board of a Shell company in Nigeria.

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She later served as the managing director of Shell Nigeria Closed Pension Fund Administrator Limited until her retirement in 2015.

Beyond Shell, Ayeni has held several key leadership roles in Nigeria’s corporate sector. She was an independent non-executive director at Guinness Nigeria Plc and served as Chairperson of NASCON Allied Industries Plc. She is currently a non-executive director of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Ltd and a Council Member of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.

“Her appointment to the Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc Board strengthens gender diversity, with female representation exceeding 40 percent. The appointment remains subject to ratification at the company’s next Annual General Meeting,” the statement said.