Dizengoff appoints Duke as chairman board

Dizengoff Nigeria has appointed Mrs. Owanari Duke as the company’s new Chairman, Board of Directors of its Nigeria business.

Duke, who has been a member of the Board since 2000, took over the position from the outgoing Chairman, Prof. T. Duncan, who recently retired.

According to a statement signed by the company’s Marketing Communications Manager, Humphrey Otalor, the announcement of her appointment was made at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The CEO of Dizengoff Nigeria, Antti Ritvonen described Duke as a proven leader, whose contribution as member of the Board over the past 18 years has been invaluable.

He said: “She brings a lot of energy to the table and her expertise as a lawyer and her wealth of experience as a former First Lady of Cross River State will indeed be invaluable to the organisation”.

In her acceptance speech, Duke said the Board honoured her by the appointment.

“I am excited to contribute to the purpose, vision and strategy of the company. It is with great pleasure and sense of commitment that I pledge to work with the Board members to uphold the Dizengoff brand and I look forward to working together in the future,” she stated.

Duke is a successful and experienced lawyer, a highly strategic and accomplished business development professional.

She is a United Nation certified trainer on entrepreneurship and a member of several Boards of both international and local institutions.

She is credited with having started the now acclaimed annual International Calabar Carnival, during the tenure of her husband, Donald Duke as Governor of Cross River State.

She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), as well as member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), amongst several other professional groups.

Duke began her professional career in 1988 in a financial establishment as Assistant Legal Counsel, later traversing different sectors of the economy in various leadership positions. Duke brings to bear on her appointment as Chairman of the company’s board her over 25 years of solid professional experience.

Dizengoff Nigeria is a subsidiary of Bolton CP with presence in eight countries in Sub-Sahara Africa. Balton CP has international partnership with reputable manufacturers. Dizengoff is one of the leading Agriculture and Communications Technology companies in Nigeria.