Across Nigeria’s manufacturing and fast-moving consumer goods sector(FMCG), a growing number of women are rising to the highest levels of corporate leadership, shaping strategy, driving innovation, and influencing boardroom decisions at companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

Historically dominated by male executives, Nigeria’s industrial and manufacturing landscape is gradually witnessing a shift as more women assume senior executive roles in publicly listed companies.

From food processing and consumer goods to cement and pharmaceuticals, female C-suite leaders are helping steer some of the country’s most recognisable brands while delivering value for shareholders and strengthening corporate governance.

Their presence reflects a broader push toward gender inclusion in corporate Nigeria. Recent governance data shows that women now occupy over 30% of board seats among the NGX-30 companies, highlighting a gradual but significant improvement in female representation at the highest levels of decision-making.

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While the number of women in executive roles remains relatively small compared to their male counterparts, their impact is increasingly visible.

Female executives across Nigeria’s manufacturing/FMCG companies are playing pivotal roles in areas such as operations, finance, strategy, and supply chain management functions critical to sustaining growth in a sector that contributes significantly to the country’s industrial output.

These leaders are also helping to reshape workplace culture by promoting diversity, talent development, and inclusive leadership within their organisations.

Their career journeys often span decades of experience across multinational corporations, regional markets, and local industries, equipping them with the expertise needed to navigate complex operating environments.

In respect to the International Women’s Day celebration, we spotlight influential female C-suite executives leading manufacturing and FMCG companies listed on the NGX.

We also rank them based on the overall market capitalization of the companies as of February 27, 2026.

Oyeyimika Adeboye, Managing Director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc 

Market cap: N150.4 billion 

Oyeyimika Adeboye leads one of Nigeria’s most recognisable consumer brands, but her rise to the top of the corporate ladder has been shaped by decades spent in finance and strategy across two continents.

In April 2019, she was appointed managing director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, succeeding Amir Shamsi and becoming the first woman to lead the company in its more than 50-year history. She also serves as managing director of Mondelez West Africa, the regional arm of global snack giant Mondelēz International, Cadbury Nigeria’s parent company.

Adeboye began her career in the United Kingdom at the accounting firm Midgley Snelling & Co., where she trained and qualified as a chartered accountant. She is now a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

She later returned to Nigeria, working at Arthur Andersen before joining Nigerian Bottling Company Plc in 1994 as director of finance and chief financial officer, a position she held for 13 years.

In 2008, she joined Cadbury West Africa as finance and strategy director, serving on the boards of Cadbury Nigeria Plc and Cadbury Ghana. After more than a decade in senior leadership, she rose to managing director in 2019, bringing over 30 years of financial and corporate leadership experience to the role.

Kemi Adeoye, Chief Financial Officer, Honeywell Nigeria 

Market cap: N180 billion 

Kemi Adeoye is a financial strategist and advisor with in-depth expertise in finance and experience that cuts across multiple industries. With over 20 years of track record in corporate finance, accounting, tax advisory and treasury management, she brings a wealth of experience to her role. Kemi has played a pivotal role in HGL’s valuable investments and initiatives, including developing and owning the partnership with the Bank of Industry, providing financial advisory on the purchase of a majority stake in a port operations company, and leading the finance and tax work-stream on the Honeywell Flour Mills divestment. She was recently appointed as a non-executive director on the board of Ikeja Hotel Plc.

As CFO, Kemi provides guidance and expertise in key financial decisions, ensuring the company’s financial objectives are aligned with its broader goals. She is also responsible for  risk management and ensuring the adequacy and effectiveness of controls and Internal Audit across the Group.

Prior to Honeywell Group, she worked with Baker Tilly, where she led several audit engagements with local and multinational clients across different business sectors. Since joining Honeywell Group in 2006, she has held multiple responsibilities across business functions, including business management, finance, treasury, reporting, budgeting, and risk management.

Kemi holds a first-class bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Oxford Brookes University and an MBA from the Lagos Business School. She is also a member of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Funke Ijaiya-Oladipo, Finance Director, UACN  

Market cap: N280.9billion  

Funke Ijaiya-Oladipo is a finance, capital markets, and leadership expert with 20 years of experience across Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. She has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in capital and led complex mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings through her work at Goldman Sachs and the Standard Bank Group.

As Group Finance Director at UAC of Nigeria PLC, Funke is part of the leadership team providing strategic and financial oversight across a portfolio of category-defining companies that nourish millions of Nigerians, employ thousands, and power key sectors of the economy, including packaged food, beverages, paints, logistics, and real estate.

She is responsible for the Group’s finance strategy, treasury and capital markets, and investor relations, while providing financial stewardship and governance oversight across its operating subsidiaries.

Since joining UAC in 2020, Funke has transformed how finance supports strategy, driven value creation across UAC’s portfolio, and strengthened investor confidence.

Her leadership is defined by disciplined capital allocation, operational excellence, and flawless execution.

Funke serves on the boards of UAC of Nigeria PLC, CHI Limited (Chivita|Hollandia), Grand Cereals Limited, and UAC Foods Limited, as well as the Advisory Board of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Africa, a non-profit focused on developing African youths into future leaders.

Beyond the boardroom, she is passionate about leadership and talent development, advancing gender equity, and African excellence.

She holds a B.Sc. in Economics and an M.Sc. in Project & Enterprise Management, both from University College London (UCL), and is a CFA charterholder.

Aderemi Saka, Managing Director, NASCON Allied

Market- N445.7 billion 

Aderemi has 26 years of experience working in Nigeria and the United States with various multinationals and publicly traded corporations.

Before joining Nascon as CFO, Aderemi was part of the Group Corporate Strategy team at Dangote Industries Limited.

Before joining the Group in 2015, Aderemi held various roles at Version Business, MCI, American Tower Corporation and T/R Systems Inc.

She has a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting and a Master’s in Business Administration (International Business) from Georgia State University, USA.

Mariya Aliko Dangote- Executive Director, Operations, Dangote Sugar Refinery 

Market cap: N1.7 trillion 

Mariya Aliko Dangote was appointed to the Board of Dangote Cement Plc on 25th July, 2005.

She is an Executive Director, Operations for Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc. Prior to the announcement in July 2023, she was the Director of Strategy/BIP Support with several years of experience in Risk Management and Business Strategy.

Mariya holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Bayero University, Kano, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Coventry University, United Kingdom.

She was a Group Strategy Lead, Dangote Industries Limited, a position she held until her redeployment to Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc in 2019.

Mariya also serves on the Board of Dangote – Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited (DPAN), Dangote Cement Limited and Al–Ummah Development Foundation, amongst others.

She is a fellow of the National Institute of Credit Administration, has attended many local and international professional training programmes on Leadership, Business Development and Law.

Chinyere Ezeugwu, Executive Director, Finance International Breweries 

Market cap: N2.4 trillion 

Chinyere is an experienced finance professional with a strong track record in financial management, reporting, and strategic decision support within Nigeria’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.

She currently serves as Country Finance Manager at International Breweries Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading brewing companies and a subsidiary of global beverage giant AB InBev.

Before joining International Breweries in May 2020, she spent nearly seven years at Unilever, where she held several finance leadership roles within the multinational consumer goods company’s Nigerian operations.

At Unilever, she served as Supply Chain Finance Manager, partnering with operational teams to improve cost management and support financial decision-making across manufacturing and supply chain activities.

Prior to that, she worked as Manufacturing Finance Manager, where she was responsible for financial oversight of production operations, including cost analysis, budgeting, and performance monitoring.

Her earlier roles at Unilever included Information Analyst and Financial Reporting Accountant.

Chinyere began her professional career in the audit and professional services sector at KPMG, where she worked as a Senior Associate in Audit for nearly five years.

Academically, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She is also a chartered accountant, having earned the Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) designation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Mrs. Kemisola Ajasa: Executive director Regional Regulatory & Scientific Affairs Manager, Nestle 

Market cap; N2.4 trillion 

Mrs. Kemisola Ajasa (Nigerian) is an executive director and a seasoned professional in the field of regulatory affairs. She has been serving as the Regional Regulatory & Scientific Affairs Manager since 2018.

With an impressive career history spanning over two decades, Kemisola played a pivotal role in the launch of several Nestlé Product Development and Introductions (NPDIs), including NPL Zinc Protect, Maggi Naija Pot, MILO RTD, and Golden Morn Puffs, among others.

Additionally, she spearheaded the industry advocacy team, collaborating with regulatory authorities on the review of various standards and facilitating the ISO 9001:2015 certification of the Nigeria Head Office and Distribution Centers through the Methods Alignment Project.

Prior to her time at Nestlé, Kemisola served as the Regulatory Affairs Manager at Reckitt Benckiser Nigeria Limited from 2002 to 2010.

Earlier in her career, she worked as a Quality Assurance and Export Officer at Julia Foods Limited from 1994 to 1998.

Kemisola holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar,

Nigeria, and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Biochemistry from Obafemi Awolowo University IleIfe, Nigeria. She was appointed to the Board on 1 November 2024.

Adewunmi Alode; Legal Director & Company Secretary Lafarge 

Market cap: N3.2 trillion 

Adewunmi Alode is Lafarge Africa’s Legal Director and Company Secretary. She has over thirteen (13) years of hands-on experience in the Company Secretariat, core legal, project management in onshore and offshore contracts, legal advisory, claims and litigation management.

She is a trained lawyer, was called to the bar at the prestigious Nigeria Law School, Abuja and is also a Chartered Secretary. She is currently undergoing her MBA studies at the Business School Netherlands

Adewunmi started her career at an indigenous law firm in Lagos and had a brief stint as Company Secretary with Unicorn Holdings, Lagos. She then joined Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria in 2008 as a Legal Officer.

Over the next decade, she occupied several roles including: Legal Manager, Legal Business Partner, Compliance Business Partner, Senior Legal Counsel – Contracts and Company Secretary/Senior Legal Counsel. She was appointed General Counsel/Company Secretary in 2019

Halima Aliko-Dangote-GED/COO Dangote Industries Limited 

Market cap: N13.1 trillion 

Ms. Halima Aliko-Dangote is currently the Group Executive Director, Commercial Operations at Dangote Industries Limited, where she is responsible for leading the development and execution of Dangote Group’s Customer and Shared Services strategy with specific oversight for the following functions: Commercial, Strategic procurement, Branding & Communications and Corporate Services.

Ms. Dangote also served as Executive Director of Dangote Flour Mills, where she led the successful turnaround and recent sale of the business. Prior to then, she served as Executive Director of NASCON and continues to serve as a Non-Executive Director of NASCON.

She is currently the Board President of The Africa Centre (TAC) in New York, a Board member of Endeavour Nigeria and a member of the Women Corporate Directors (WCD).

Ms. Dangote started off her career as an Analyst at KPMG and has over 13 years of professional experience, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from American Intercontinental University, London, and a Master of Business Administration from Webster Business School.

Adewunmi Desalu; Director Marketing and Corporate Communications, BUA Foods 

Market Cap: N14.2 trillion  

Adewunmi Desalu is a seasoned marketing and corporate communications professional with over 15 years of experience in business operations management, advertising, brand management, event and audio-visual production, experiential marketing, digital marketing, media management, corporate communications, trade marketing, consumer research, and project management.

This experience spans several industries, including FMCG, oil and gas, telecommunications, consumer electronics, retail, and financial services.

Before joining BUA Foods, she worked at Insight Publicis as a Business Director, where she successfully managed campaigns for a diverse portfolio of global and multinational brands.

As Business Director, she was responsible for driving multifaceted, consumer-led campaigns through multi-departmental collaborations to maintain relevance for the brands she handled while helping them grow consumer interest and capture additional market share.

Her experience spans various sectors, including FMCG, Oil and Gas, Telecommunications, Consumer Electronics, Retail, and Financial Services, with notable clients such as Nestle, Heineken, Globacom, Axa Mansard, VISA, and Pepsi, to mention a few.

Adewunmi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Lagos State University. She has also earned a postgraduate degree in professional marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), UK, and a postgraduate diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute, Ireland. She is a member of CIM, UK, and an associate member of ARCON.