Omolayole kicks against using foreigners as chief executives
![](https://guardian.ng/wp-content/plugins/ventra-lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif)
The first Indigenous Chairman/Managing Director of the Lever Brothers, now Unilever Nigeria Limited, Dr. Michael Omolayole, has faulted some Nigerian companies who claimed they could not find highly capable Nigerians to become Chief Executives Officers (CEOs) of their various organisations.
Stating that he doesn’t believe their claims were genuine, he said while some companies succeeded in finding and developing them that, those who claim they were unable to do so should be ashamed of themselves. Omolayole said this during a lecture organised in his honour in Lagos, where he said they would continue to encourage and celebrate those who had done so.
The move, he said was part of the Society for Advancement of Local Talents and Virtue in Management (SALTVIM) call, where he celebrated Adebayo Alli, a SALTVIM awardee, who was announced as the new Group Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria Plc after 10 years of being run by foreigners.
He said that given all the companies operating in Nigeria, no matter where their International head office might be, and although foreigners might be the majority stakeholders to have the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians as one of their primary objectives of doing business in this country, they should develop Nigerians to the highest level that was attainable without discrimination whether they are men or women, to reach the post of CEO.
However, he insisted that they should look for virtuous Nigerians with the highest integrity and help to increase the pool of such personalities, with the Nigerian economic space.
![](https://guardian.ng/wp-content/themes/guardian2021/img/newsletter_icon.png)
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
0 Comments
We will review and take appropriate action.