Aliyu, Olaiya join NAHCO board as non-executive directors

Abdulhamid Aliyu and Victor Abimbola Olaiya have been appointed to the board of NAHCO plc, West Africa’s largest ground handling service provider, as non-executive directors.

Their appointment is on the back of the retirement of Mohammed Gambo Umar, a non-executive director, Sunday Nnamdi Nwosu, an independent non-executive director, and Solagbade Olukayode Alabi, a non-executive director from the board, the company said in a regulatory statement to Nigerian Exchange (NGX) signed by Bello A. Abdullahi, the company secretary.

According to the statement, the retirement of the three directors from the board took effect from December 31, 2023.

Providing the profiles of the new directors, the company stated that Aliyu is a fellow of the Institute of Management Specialist (UK), as well as a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants, adding that he is a certified management consultant and a certified management specialist by the London Graduate School with an honorary  Doctor of Business Administration in Oil and Gas.

Born in 1963, Aliyu was awarded a BSc degree in Economics from the University of Maiduguri (1987) and is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers. He is also a dealing clerk of the Nigerian Exchange, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered).

A man of many parts, his career journey began as an investment officer at the Nigerian Agricultural & Cooperative Bank in 1988.

He has over the years held various significant positions, including as general manager at Fairholme Investment (Nig.) Limited, special assistant to a minister of petroleum resources and managing director of NNPC Oilfield Services Limited.

Olaiya, born in 1956, was awarded an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Mechanical Engineering by the Yaba College of Technology in 1977 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ife in 1981.

He obtained a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Lagos in 1988. Olaiya is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and Nigerian Institute of Management NIM).

He also trained at the Baptist College of Theology, Lagos, obtaining a Bachelor of Theology degree. His extensive three-decade career in the oil and gas industry includes roles such as facilities engineer, drilling engineering and operations, and general manager, venture relations department of the upstream affiliates of ExxonMobil.

In addition to his corporate achievements, Olaiya served as the chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Lagos Section 61 in 1988 and retired as the pastor of New Insight Baptist Church, Ogudu, Lagos, in October 2021, after nearly seven years of service.

The statement by NAHCO further disclosed that the process of appointing a replacement for the retired independent non-executive director is currently underwa