Unilever Nigeria appoints Uchenna Nwakanma as Executive Director

Unilever Nigeria Plc, has announced the appointment of Mr. Uchenna Nwakanma, as an Executive Director, effective  November 13, 2025. The Board expressed confidence in his leadership and welcomed him warmly to the team.

Nwakanma is a seasoned Research and Development (R&D) business leader with more than two decades of experience driving innovation, product excellence and strategic growth within Africa’s fast-moving consumer goods sector. He currently serves as R&D Director for Unilever’s personal care category across the Africa Cluster, where he oversees regional strategy and leads innovation projects tailored to diverse consumer needs.

His expertise cuts across home care, personal care, baby care, pesticides, lavatory care and OTC pharmaceuticals. Over the years, he has steered cross-functional teams to deliver impactful, consumer-driven innovations that meet technical and regulatory standards.

Before joining Unilever, he held senior R&D leadership roles at PZ Cussons and Reckitt Benckiser, where he managed end-to-end innovation pipelines and capability-building programmes that strengthened both companies’ competitiveness across Africa.

A strong advocate of sustainable manufacturing and local value creation, Nwakanma has worked with key industry bodies including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, championing initiatives that promote local sourcing, quality improvement and talent development. He has also shared his expertise at various industry forums across Africa, speaking on innovation as a catalyst for national development.

Nwakanma is an Industrial Chemist with an MBA in General Management and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Chemists of Nigeria.

The Board of Unilever Nigeria Plc now consists of: Bolaji Balogun (Chairman/Independent Non-Executive Director), Tobi Adeniyi (Managing Director), Michael Ikpoki (Independent Non-Executive Director), Ben Langat (Non-Executive Director), Chika Nwobi (Non-Executive Director), Ngozi Edozien (Independent Non-Executive Director), Umma Yusuf Aboki (Independent Non-Executive Director), Adenike Ogunlesi (Independent Non-Executive Director), Ibrahim Sodipe (Executive Director) and Uchenna Nwakanma (Executive Director).