Ikazoboh chairs board of Dangote Cement as Aliko steps down
Non-Executive Director at Dangote Cement, Mr Emmanuel Ikazoboh, has been named the new Chairman of the company following the exit of founder, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, from the board.
The company announced weekend that Aliko Dangote officially stepped down as Chairman and Director of Dangote Cement Plc in a significant shift in the leadership of the Africa’s largest cement producer.
Ikazoboh’s appointment took immediate effect to ensure that the operations of the cement company do not suffer any disruption.
While several analysts guess possible reasons behind the decision of Aliko to step down from the board of the cement company, inside sources told our correspondent that it has been traditional in the group for leadership of both management and board to transit across tested hands.
With an MBA in Financial Management and Marketing from Manchester University Business School in 1979, professional pedigree as a Certified Accountant in the United Kingdom, and a fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Chartered Accountants, Emmanuel Ikazoboh comes to the position with over 40 years of experience in senior management roles across corporate concerns across continents.
And with a rich professional experience as chartered accountant with global brands like Deloitte, Mr Ikazobor had taken crucial responsibilities in repositioning critical state institutions like the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc.
He has been a Group Chairman of Ecobank Transnational Inc., and still serves on several corporate boards as Chairman or Nonexecutive Director.
Thus, Mr. Ikazoboh boasts of tall professionals standing and deep expertise in financial governance, capital market reform, corporate leadership, and technology-enabled connectivity.
About Dangote’s choice of a southerner to lead one of his largest businesses, it quickly comes to mind that Emmanuel Ikazoboh was born in Kano in 1949 and attended St. Thomas Catholic Primary School in Kano before proceeding to Western Boys High School in Benin City, Yaba College of Technology in Lagos and the University of Wales (Bangor). He also attended the Manchester University Business School for his MBA in Financial Management and Marketing.
Industry pundits agree that Ikazoboh holds the requisite competencies, industry experience and management skills to deliver on the aspirations of stakeholders in the Africa’s largest cement company.
