Cadbury Nigeria Plc has appointed Ayman Hussein F. Gaafar as its new Managing Director.

The appointment, which will become effective on May 15, 2026, was approved by the board after a recommendation from its Governance and Risk Committee and communicated to the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the investing public in a statement signed by Company Secretary Afolasade Olowe.

Gaafar succeeds Folake Ogundipe, who served as interim Managing Director since December 2025 and guided the company through a transitional phase. His appointment formally closes that interim chapter and introduces a new leadership direction at a critical point for the business.

The new Managing Director brings experience from several multinational consumer goods companies, including Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Danone, and Shan Foods. His expertise spans general management, commercial leadership, business transformation, and market expansion.

Gaafar has managed full profit-and-loss operations and led go-to-market execution across multiple regions, including the Middle East, Africa, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and the Levant. The breadth of that international exposure is expected to strengthen Cadbury Nigeria’s competitive positioning as it navigates one of Africa’s most demanding consumer markets.

The company expects Gaafar to deepen market competitiveness, improve operational efficiency, and drive sustainable growth despite the challenging operating environment. For a company with some of Nigeria’s most recognisable household brands, the focus ahead will depend as much on execution as strategy.

With new leadership now in place and signs of financial recovery emerging, attention will shift to how Gaafar shapes the next phase of growth for one of Nigeria’s oldest consumer goods companies.