Cadbury Nigeria Plc has appointed Ayman Hussein F. Gaafar as its new managing director, effective May 15, 2026. The company’s board of directors approved the appointment following a recommendation from its Governance and Risk Committee. Gaafar takes over from Folake Ogundipe, who has served as interim managing director since December 2025, steering the company through a transitional period.
Gaafar brings extensive experience from a career spanning some of the world’s leading consumer goods companies, including Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Danone, and Shan Foods. His experience covers general management, commercial leadership, and market strategy, with oversight of full profit-and-loss responsibilities, go-to-market execution, and business expansion across multiple geographies, including the Middle East, Africa, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and the Levant region.
The board welcomed Gaafar’s appointment, expressing confidence in his ability to lead the business amid evolving market dynamics in Nigeria’s fast-moving consumer goods sector. Gaafar is expected to leverage his international expertise to deepen Cadbury Nigeria’s market competitiveness, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen growth in a challenging operating environment.
The appointment comes at a critical time for Cadbury Nigeria as manufacturers continue to grapple with inflationary pressures, volatile foreign exchange conditions, and weakening consumer purchasing power, all of which have weighed heavily on the FMCG sector.
The company commended Ogundipe’s leadership during the transition. “Throughout her tenure, Ogundipe exhibited exceptional leadership, steadfast dedication, and admirable resilience,” the company said, adding that her efforts played a pivotal role in preserving the company’s strategic direction.
Cadbury Nigeria, a subsidiary of global confectionery giant Mondelez International, is one of Nigeria’s leading consumer goods companies.
