HBM Nigeria Plc has appointed Dr. Fatima Akilu and Mrs. Nella Andem-Ewa, SAN, as Independent Non-Executive Directors, effective July 1, 2026.
The appointments were disclosed in a regulatory filing dated July 6, 2026, signed by Company Secretary Adewunmi Alode, and are subject to shareholder ratification at the company’s next Annual General Meeting.
The board changes follow the resignation of Mrs. Adenike Ogunlesi, Independent Non-Executive Director, and Mrs. Elenda Osima-Dokubo, Non-Executive Director, both effective June 30, 2026. HBM Nigeria expressed appreciation to the outgoing directors for their service, stating that their entrepreneurial expertise, strategic leadership, and commercial experience strengthened the company’s governance and supported its long-term growth objectives.
Dr. Akilu is a psychologist, peacebuilding and strategic communication specialist with more than three decades of experience across academia, government, and the security sector. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Neem Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on mental health, trauma recovery, and preventing violent extremism. She previously served as Director of Behavioural Analysis and Strategic Communication at Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Adviser.
Mrs. Andem-Ewa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), brings over 30 years of legal and public sector experience. She served as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Cross River State from 1999 to 2003 and was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2009. She is the Principal Partner of Lexglobal Partners and has served on the Council of Legal Education, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Nigerian Bar Association’s National Executive Council.
The appointments come after the company’s transition from Lafarge Africa Plc to HBM Nigeria Plc. The name change, approved by shareholders at the company’s Annual General Meeting on April 30, 2026, and subsequently registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission, reflects the company’s new majority ownership by Huaxin Building Materials Group (HBMG).
HBMG completed the acquisition of an 83.81% stake in Lafarge Africa in August 2025, marking a significant ownership transition in Nigeria’s building materials industry.
The latest board appointments further strengthen HBM Nigeria’s governance framework as the company continues its transition under its new ownership structure and pursues its long-term strategic objectives.
