FoodCo expands retail leadership pipeline as talent program graduates new cohort

FoodCo Nigeria Ltd., one of the country’s top five retailers, has graduated the 2024 class of its Leadership Development Program, a two-year scheme designed to prepare young professionals for management roles in modern retail.

Three participants — Abraham Oriafoh, Iyanuoluwa Olateju and Joseph Idowu — have been promoted into management positions at the Ibadan-based company following the program, FoodCo said in a statement.

“As a leading retailer in Nigeria, FoodCo is committed to building capacity in the Nigerian market by nurturing well-trained leaders equipped with the relevant skills and experience to drive growth in the industry,” Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Onwundinjo said at the graduation event.

“We are incredibly proud of this year’s graduates; their dedication, innovativeness, and resilience under pressure will be invaluable springboards for the next phase of their careers. And, to the new members of our management team, we welcome you. We are excited to have them bring on board the experiences they have acquired to contribute to the success of the company.”

Ayodele Adio, head of sales operations, said the program is central to the company’s growth strategy. “Our business has always been guided by the ethos that when we invest in our people, we invest in the future of our business,” he said.

“Through the LDP, we are not only building capacity for the industry but also shaping a culture of leadership, accountability, and continuous improvement across every level of the organization.”

Founded in 1982 as a fruit and vegetable store, FoodCo has since expanded into quick-service restaurants, manufacturing and entertainment. The retailer employs more than 1,300 people and has been featured three times in the Financial Times ranking of Africa’s fastest-growing companies.

Wasiu Alli

Wasiu Alli is a business, economics cum data journalist with strong expertise covering macro trends, capital markets, government policies, corporate earnings and comparative economics analysis. Alli turns raw data into trends that not only tells compelling stories but nudges investors to make valued and informed decisions. He’s an alumnus of Lagos State University and trained at Lagos Business School. He formerly heads the Companies and Markets desk at BusinessDay where he writes and supervises the production of well researched articles on earnings updates, corporate sectoral comparisons, market intelligence as well as interviews with C-suite executives.