The Board of Directors of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has announced the appointment of Mrs Yemisi Ayeni as an Independent Non-Executive Director. The board formally approved her appointment on March 20, 2025.
Mrs Ayeni brings extensive financial and leadership expertise to the role. She is a 1985 honours graduate of Economics from the University of Manchester, UK, and a 1989 Chartered Accountant.
She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, reinforcing her strong corporate governance and financial management credentials.
Mrs Ayeni is a 1985 honours graduate of Economics from the prestigious University of Manchester, UK, and a 1989 Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
She started her professional career with Price Waterhouse (PW) (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), London, in 1985. Following her return to Nigeria in 1991, she worked with PW Lagos as a Partner in a privately owned financial consultancy firm until 1994, when she joined Shell Nigeria.
During her 21 years with Shell, she held a variety of roles across different Shell companies. In 2004, she was appointed Finance Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production Co. Ltd (SNEPCo), becoming the first Nigerian woman to be appointed to the Board of a Shell Company in Nigeria.
Mrs Ayeni was Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Closed Pension Fund Administrator Limited from 2005 until her retirement in April 2015.
She was also the Vice-Chair of the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria, the Chair of its Institute Committee, the Council Member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (now Nigerian Exchange Group Plc), and Chair of its Demutualization and Technical Committees.
She is currently a Non-Executive Director of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Ltd, an Independent Non-Executive Director of Guinness Nigeria Plc, and the Chairperson of NASCON Allied Industries Plc.
She sits on the Leadership Council of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation and is the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Queen’s College Old Girls’ Association.
Mrs Ayeni’s appointment as Independent Non-Executive Director on 20th March 2025 brings the gender balance of the Board to over 40% female.
The appointment is subject to the ratification of the Company’s members at its next Annual General Meeting.
The Board warmly welcomes Mrs Ayeni and does not doubt that she will provide additional objective and unbiased oversight, strategic guidance, and governance support to protect the interests of Shareholders.
