NAHCO APPOINTS OLUMEKUN GMD/CEO

*****As Indranil Gupta Retires

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company PLC, (nahco aviance) has announced the appointment of Mr. Olumuyiwa Olumekun as the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (GMD/CEO) of the Company effective January 1, 2025.

Olumekun replaces Mr. Indranil Gupta whose tenure expired December 31, 2024.

In a notice to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) dated 27 December, 2024, the Company Secretary, Mr. Bello Abdullahi, disclosed that “the Board has approved the appointment of Mr. Olumuyiwa Olumekun as the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (GMD/CEO) of the Company with effect from 1st January 2025.”

The same notice also announced “the retirement of Mr. Indranil Gupta, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Company. He is retiring on 31st December, 2024 upon completion of his service contract tenure as the GMD/CEO and also retiring from the Board of Directors of the Company accordingly.”

A seasoned business executive with over three decades of leadership experience across various industries, Olumekun retired as Group Executive Director, Corporate Services at NAHCO PLC in February 2022. During his tenure, he held multiple strategic roles, including Acting Managing Director (August 2021 – February 2022) and Executive Director of Corporate Services, where he provided leadership to key functions such as Human Resources, Learning & Development, IT, Administrative Services, Infrastructure, and Procurement and was part of the team that successfully implemented the Company’s transformative 2019–2023 strategic plan, which resulted in over a 300% increase in profitability.

In 2019, he spearheaded NAHCO’s Commercial and Business Development efforts before transitioning to the Corporate Services Directorate.

Since 2022, he has remained as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of NAHCO subsidiaries including NAHCO Free Trade Zone, NAHCO Commodities Limited, NAHCO Travels & Hospitality Limited and Mainland Cargo Options (now NAHCO Logistics).

Olumekun holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Ibadan (1985) and is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School, where he completed the Chief Executive and Advanced Management Programmes

Prior to joining NAHCO, Mr. Olumekun spent 23 years at Red Star Express PLC (FedEx), where he retired as Executive Director in 2015. At Red Star, he managed the FedEx brand and oversaw core functions, including Sales, Marketing, Operations, Strategy & Business Development, Customer Service and IT and was a member of the Board of Directors for a decade. A distinguished professional, Mr. Olumekun is a Member of the Institute of Directors and a Registered Professional with the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria. Beyond his professional achievements, Olumekun is dedicated to his family and is happily married with children.

NAHCO Ends the Year on a High, Extends Handling Contracts with Emirates, Virgin and Turkish

*Set to Meet N300 billion revenue projection by 2029.

West Africa’s leading ground handling service provider, nahco aviance, has extended groundling contracts with three leading international carriers, Emirates, Turkish and Virgin Atlantic.

The extension will further enable the company meet up with its projected revenue of N300 billion by 2029, a target it announced at the recent Facts Behind the Figures presentation at the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

Emirates, which resumed schedule flight operations to Nigeria in October, had previously appointed NAHCO to provide it with complete ground handling services. This arrangement will now be in place for the next five years.

British carrier, Virgin, has always pitched its tent with NAHCO for excellent service delivery.

The ground handlers’ relationship with Turkish Airlines dates back several year and it has consistently been the preferred service provider for the Airline.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NAHCO Plc, Mr. Indranil Gupta, said this is very good news for the Company and its shareholders.

“For 45 years NAHCO has been the leader in ground handling service in Nigeria and the entire West Africa region. We will continue to lead the way, satisfy our clients and delight our shareholders. It is a promise we will keep.” Gupta said.

The GMD/CEO expressed NAHCO’s determination to meet the revenue target.

“NAHCO will continue to invest in equipment and in training to meet our obligations to our clients and to meet our revenue target,” Gupta further added.

The Group Executive Director, Commercial & Business Development, nahco aviance, Prince Saheed Lasisi, described the contracts signing as significant development in the relationship between NAHCO and these great organisations.

Lasisi said, “It is a measure of the trust that the airlines have in us that they have extended our contract with them for these respective years. We are so delighted with this and will go beyond expectations in making them the most satisfied airlines operating into and out of Nigeria.”

According to him, any airline that provides the best service will depend on the groundhandler that provides the best service to keep its topflight position. He said NAHCO is honoured with the trust reposed in her by these reputable carriers.

About NAHCO

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance) is West Africa’s largest ground handling service provider, with presence in all the major Nigerian airports.

Founded in December 1979 by the Federal Government through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in collaboration with four international airlines; Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa and Sabena. NAHCO is now fully privatised and a publicly quoted company listed on the NGX.

The Company has since grown into a multi-billion naira institution with diversified investments in energy, logistics, a Free Trade Zone Company, airport management, travel & hospitality and food & beverage export.

CSR: NAHCO Commissions Five Borehole Projects in School, Ondo community

*Advocates Maintenance Culture.

As part of its efforts aimed at putting smiles in the faces of its global community, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance) has commissioned five borehole projects in a school in Badagry, Lagos State as well as a community in Ondo State.

The Group Managing Director/CEO of the Company, Mr. Indranil Gupta said the Organisation looks forward to a time it would do even more to further impact positively the lives of its communities.

At Ode – Aye, Southwest Ondo State where the Company constructed and donated four boreholes, the GMD/CEO, represented by the AGM Corporate Communications, Mr. Tayo Ajakaye, advised the users of the boreholes to take ownership and ensure that they are well – maintained.

According to the NAHCO GMD it is such a good maintenance culture that would encourage, not only NAHCO, but also any other willing donors to do more knowing fully well that whatever is donated would be well – maintained.

“Let me explain it this way. If, for any reason, we come around again in a year’s time or one and a half years and we see these boreholes up and running, it would gladden our hearts and we would gladly want to donate more in new locations, rather than spend such resources trying to resuscitate, reactivate or fix dead ones.”

Indranil thanked the good people of Ode – Aye for allowing NAHCO serve them. “We serve in many more ways. This is just one way in which we serve our global community,” he stated.

 In his short address of appreciation at the occasion, the Halu of Aye Kingdom, HRM Oba William Akinmusayo Akinlade, thanked NAHCO for its thoughtfulness.

According to the traditional leader, it is such beneficial project that the town has been looking forward to adding that the projects will go a long away in ameliorating the suffering of the people even as the dry season sets in.

Oba Akinlade also thanked the Board of NAHCO and expressed the hope that the Board and its chairman will do more for the Community.

Also speaking, High Chief Petu of Aye Kingdom, Chief Kayode Adebusoye thanked the Company and its management assuring that the town will pray for its continued success.

The project coordinator for the town, Sir Soji Aguda promised that the residents of the streets where the boreholes are located will safeguard the facilities.

The four boreholes donated are powered by solar energy as part of the package donated by NAHCO.

“We All Need Somebody to Lean on” as NAHCO Offers Help to Adebola Creative School

While commissioning the project at the Adebola Creative Comprehensive college, Morogbo, Badagry, Lagos State, the NAHCO GMD explained the need for the Company’s intervention in providing the borehole for to the school. He said that it is difficult for many school proprietors in Nigeria to provide all that a school requires.

According to Indranil, who spoke through Ajakaye, “What we do here today is what we do regularly, especially in the area where we operate, the Airport environment. But we have recently expanded our immediate community to a larger, global community, for a more comprehensive impact on our people. We realized that at some point in our lives, we all need help, no matter where we are located”

Indranil said it is a good sight to see the joy in the faces of the school children as well as the school authorities as the Company commissions the project complete with a 3.5kva generator even as he applauded the management of the school for its doggedness in managing to stay afloat in the midst of increasing running costs and dwindling resources.

The Chief Executive Officer of the school, Prince Adegbehin Adetarami, whose address was read by the Principal, Mrs. Mary Adegbehin, appreciated NAHCO for the project pointing out that the impact of the donation cannot be overstated.

According to him, the borehole will ensure access to clean water while the generator will provide constant electricity which the school needs everyday for its activities, including the computer labs and digital learning.

He said: “Today, NAHCO has healed a wound that is seriously ailing us as an institution. With this life – changing gift, not only has it quenched our thirst for clean water, but also illuminates out path to a brighter future with the provision of a generator; and to which we shall remain forever grateful.”

Speaking at the Occasion, the Divisional Police Officer, Morogbo Division, CSP Adekunle Olaitan, lauded NAHCO for the project pointing out that by donating the project, the Company had inadvertently inculcated also in the students the idea of given back to the Society.

The DPO said, “I want to thank the Management of NAHCO for what they have done today. In another dimension, what they have done today is not for consumption or drinking water alone, but they have laid a good legacy for these children. Tomorrow, when they are in good position, they will know how to give back to their communities.”

The Chairman, Parents Teachers Association of the School, Dr. Okedusi Olorunsola, applauded NAHCO for the good gesture stressing that its CSR policy is worthy of emulation by other organisations across the country.