Adewole Emerges Ondo Oil Palm Plc CEO

Taiwo Abimbola Adewole has been appointed as the Managing Director/CEO, Okitipupa Oil Palm (OOP) PLC, Okitipupa, Ondo State, with effect from May 24, 2023. Prior to his appointment, Adewole was the General Manager of the agro-allied firm between September 2018 and May 2023.

Adewole’s elevation to the exalted position of Managing Director was believed by players in the sector as a recognition by the firm’s Board of Directors and other critical stakeholders of his uncommon feat in resuscitating and turning-around of the erstwhile moribund company which for nearly 20 years could neither pay dividends nor fulfil its obligations to land-owners but swimming in multiple banks’ indebtedness!

Adewole’s rare management and leadership prowess was first recognised by owners of the firm, which prompted the stakeholders to hire in April, 2018 to lead a Management Consultancy team for the onerous task of reviving the distress company, his excellent performance compelled the Board just after six months of leading the Consultancy team, to appoint him General Manager and CEO of the firm in September of the same year.

It is imperative to note that the management guru acquired this experience from a number of places he had worked, tested and accomplished. Among them were: Managing Director, Safewheeler Express Ltd, a company providing corporate transportation and fleet management and consultancy services to several large corporates in diverse sectors of the Nigerian economy, among them were the US Embassy, Abuja, Nestle, Beta Glass, Exxon/Mobl, Chevron, GlaxoSmithKline etc. He was General Manager Evrii Corporation Nig. Ltd, Manager Nikki Taurus Nig. Ltd

Taiwo had his university education at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State – Bachelor of Agriculture – 1990, and Masters Degree in Crop Production with specialisation in Agroforestry in August 1994. He belonged to numerous professional bodies, including the following: Fellow Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria, Equipment Leasing Association of Nigeria International Road Federation, ..Global Transport Knowledge Partnership

Adewol was among the few individuals recognised in 2012 by both The Guardian Newspapers and Tell Magazine for exceptional Management Leadership in the country, owing largely to his magic wand at OOP PLC.

Today he has put the company on the path to re-double its production capacity, attested to by this measure. The company has now embarked on a giant step that would lead to re-doubling its production capacity which is premised on the development of our green fields which is about 6,000 hectares which has never been done in the last 40 years

The company’s total hectares is about 14,000 and about 9,000 of it was developed between 1968 and 1974. According to the development-plan unveiled by Adewole, by the time the development of the over 6,000 hectares green field is completed and began fruitioning and the firm entered its second phase development-plan, of replanting the old trees, then its final goal of re-doubling its capacity would have become a reality.

The company never had Nursery, but under Adewole has started developing a nursery of about 700,000 seedlings over a 10-hectare field. According to the CEO, “We believe that this move  is very strategic to our plans for the future. We believe that this is the right direction to go”.