THE Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, has announced the appointment of Mr. Olayinka Akande as its new Director General.

Mr. Akande is taking over from Mr. Jide Akerele Mike, who has retired from the service of the Association.

Mr. Akande is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University and later  obtained post-graduate qualifications from the University of Lagos, the Institute of Marketing Management, South Africa and the Lagos Business School.

He is a product of the ‘prestigious International Management Seminar at Four Acres – Unilever’s International Management Training Centre, UK and has been honoured with many professional awards and recognitions for seminar work over the years. Mr. Akande is coming into his new position with unique blend of multi-functional job experiences.

He was previously a Director with Globacom Limited as well as Director, Brands and Communications, Etisalat Limited and is highly respected as one of the masterminds of the master class that very successfully launched the Etisalat brand into Nigeria’s highly competitive telecommunications market in 2008.

Prior to these appointments, Mr. Akande had direct manufacturing industry experience where he held senior management positions in multinational corporations which include Coca-Cola Limited, Glaxosmithkline Plc, Unilever PIc, and UACN Plc over a 25-year career.

Mr. Akande is a Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria(NIMN) and Chairman of its Brand Protection Committee; Member, Institute of Directors(IoD); Special Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC); and Executive Council Member of the Nigeria Society for the Blind (NSB).

He is a second-generation Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International and member of both the Rotary Club of Lagos [09110] and Ikoyi Club 1938.

Speaking on the new D-G,  President of MAN, Chief Kola Jamodu, said: “We are indeed delighted to have been able to attract a seasoned professional of Yinka’s caliber to continue and accelerate the ongoing reforms of the association.

With Yinka on board and working in concert with other stakeholders, MAN as an organisation will be better positioned to continue to contribute in eliciting the type of conducive industrial climate that will ensure the growth of manufacturing business in Nigeria.”