Cadbury Nigeria Plc has appointed Oyeyimika Adeboye as its first female Managing Director since the company was established over 50 years ago.

According to a notice posted on the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) on Thursday, Adeboye’s appointment is effective from April 1.

She takes over from Amir Shamsi, who moves on to a new role within Mondelēz International, the parent company of Cadbury Nigeria.

Commenting on Shamsi’s time at Cadbury Nigeria, the company said: “During his tenure as Managing Director, Mr Shamsi made an invaluable contribution to the turnaround of the business, and drove Cadbury’s growth agenda with respect to top-line, bottom line, and talent.”

On Adeboye’s appointment, the company said it remains committed to “promoting gender equality, diversity and inclusion.”

Adeboye joins a growing list of top female executives at the helm of affairs in multinational companies with operations in Nigeria.

Trained as a chartered accountant, Adeboye joined the board of the company in November 2008, as finance and strategy director, West Africa.

Before then, she was the director of finance and chief financial officer of Nigerian Bottling Company Plc.

A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Nigeria, Adeboye has a track record in finance, strategy and business administration both in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.