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As Mrs, FOLAKE OGUNDIPE Replaces Mrs. OYEYIMKA ADEBOYE As M.D
The Cadbury Nigeria Plc, has announced the appointment of Mrs. Folake Ogundipe, the current Finance Director, as the interim Managing Director of the company.
Ogundipe’s appointment followed the retirement of Mrs. Oyeyimika Adeboye as the Managing Director, which would become effective on November 30, 2025, when she would attain the company’s retirement age.
The announcement was contained in a public statement issued by the Head, Corporate Communications and Government Relations, Cadbury Nigeria, Dr. Fred Emordi.
According to the statement, Adeboye joined the board of the company in November 2008, as Finance and Strategy Director, West Africa.
She was appointed Managing Director on April 1, 2019, becoming the first woman to be appointed to that role since the establishment of Cadbury Nigeria in 1965.
During her tenure, she steered the West Africa business through various phases of growth, transformation and macro-economic volatilities.
Lets tell you a little about Cadbury Nigeria Plc, a food and confectionery manufacturer. It operates across three main segments: Refreshment Beverages, Confectionery, and Intermediate Cocoa Products.
The company produces and sells a variety of well-known products. In Beverages: Bournvita and Cadbury 3-in-1 Hot Chocolate; in confectionery: Tom Tom, Buttermint, Candy Caramel, Candy Coffee, Clorets gum (among others); and in cocoa-based products: cocoa powder, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, and cocoa cake.
Distribution is via a network of distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and institutional customers, and the company also exports some products beyond Nigeria.
The company traces its roots to the 1950s, when the predecessor sourced cocoa beans for export and repackaged imports for sale in Nigeria.
It established a manufacturing facility in Nigeria in January 1965 (in Ikeja, Lagos).
The company was publicly listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NSE) in 1976.
Over time, it has developed a vertically integrated supply chain: beyond manufacturing finished consumer products, it also processes cocoa via a cocoa-processing subsidiary (for cocoa butter, powder, etc) — supplying raw and intermediate cocoa products.
The company is a subsidiary of Mondelçz International (through its arm Cadbury Schweppes Overseas Limited), which holds the majority stake; the remainder is held by a mix of Nigerian institutional and individual investors.
Beyond just making and selling products, Cadbury Nigeria has engaged in social-impact efforts: for example, under its Bournvita brand, the company has run youth empowerment/educational initiatives such as a “Tech Boot Camp” aimed at training children (ages ~9–16) in coding, robotics and other STEM-related skills.
This reflects a broader recognition of the role the company seeks to play in community development as part of its corporate responsibility.
The majority owner is Cadbury Schweppes Overseas Limited — part of Mondelçz International. The rest (~25%) is owned by diverse Nigerian individuals/institutions.
As of the latest (2025) public disclosures, the share of the parent company was reported at ~79.39%.
Registered address / head office: Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.
The Board reportedly draws on experienced professionals from diverse sectors — including finance, consulting, corporate governance, and multinational FMCG operations — aiming to combine local governance with global best practices.
The company emphasizes corporate governance, structured induction for new directors, and ongoing training/education to ensure the Board remains effective.
In 2025, the company disclosed the appointment of Folake Ogundipe — a senior finance executive — to the Board, indicating a refreshed leadership structure.
In a 2025 public statement, the Board (via Chairman Adedotun Sulaiman) marked the company’s “60 years of operation in Nigeria”, celebrating its history since incorporation in 1965.
The company has recently emphasised resilience and value creation for stakeholders in a challenging economic environment — a sentiment echoed by both Chairman and MD in 2025.
Despite macroeconomic headwinds, Cadbury Nigeria continues to present itself as focused on operational excellence, supply-chain integration, and brand-portfolio growth across beverages, confectionery, and cocoa products.
Cadbury Nigeria is one of the oldest and largest confectionery / cocoa-based beverage / snack producers in Nigeria — having operated for over six decades since the 1960s.
Its integrated model — combining cocoa processing (raw/intermediate cocoa products) with manufacturing of consumer-ready beverages and confectionery — gives it a unique vertical structure compared to many consumer-goods companies.
With a national distribution network and export of some cocoa/minerals products, the company has both domestic and regional/international reach.
Its brands — especially Bournvita, Tom Tom, etc. — are widely recognized and have been part of Nigerian consumer culture for decades.
Cadbury Nigeria Plc has grown from an importer/repacker to a full-fledged manufacturer and cocoa processor with strong local roots and global backing (via Mondelçz).
It maintains a diversified product portfolio across beverages, confectionery and cocoa products, helping buffer against volatility in any single category.
Its leadership — board plus executive management — blends local business acumen and global corporate governance practices.
Even now (2025), the company remains committed to growth, stakeholder value, and navigating Nigeria’s challenging economic environment while staying relevant to consumers.
Cadbury Nigeria Plc is a food, sweets and drink company headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, and traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Cadbury Nigeria Plc is a subsidiary of Mondelez International, one of the largest snacking companies in the world. The firm’s flagship product is Bournvita and it competes with brands from Nestle, GlaxoSmithKline and Promasidor. They specialised in production and sales of food products. Their activity is organized around 2 families of product: Confectionery and beverages: Bournvita, Tom Tom, Ahomka, Ginger, Hacks and Buttermint brands. Cocoa-based products: cocoa powder, cocoa butter, cocoa liqueur and cocoa cakes.
Cadbury Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Mondelez International and the manufacturer of the renowned cocoa beverage Bournvita.
Cadbury Nigeria has improved the mental and physical health of Nigerians through its flagship brand, Bournvita. Some of the brand’s initiatives to make a positive difference in children’s lives across the nation and to encourage them to develop relevant skills and talent for the 21st century include the Bournvita School Program, Bournvita Tech Boot Camp, and Bourn Factor Talent Competition.
Cadbury Schweppes history in Nigeria dates back to the 1950s when it began sourcing for cocoa and also importing bulk products and repacking it into tins for sale in the country. Later finding increasing market opportunities in the country, the group set up a manufacturing facility in January 1965.
The firm became a publicly quoted company in 1976 when Cadbury Schweppes sold 20% of its interest in the firm. The firm’s investment in the integration of its supply chain led to the establishment of a sorghum conversion plant and Stanmark Industries in Ondo, a cocoa processing plant. Stanmark provides raw materials for its key product, Bournvita and is a source of foreign currency through exportation of cocoa products. In 2006, the subsidiary processed 15,000 tonnes of cocoa beans into cocoa butter, cocoa liquor and cocoa powder.
In 2006, the firm released a statement disclosing financial misstatements in a number of previous annual reports. Immediately after the disclosure, the CEO and finance director resigned their positions. The firm later announced it will be taking exceptional item charges on its balance sheet as a result of the misstatements.
The firm’s major products are Bournvita and Tom Tom. The former was introduced to the country in 1960 and the latter in 1970. Following the establishment of a manufacturing plant in 1965, the firm spent funds on advertising Bournvita, and in the process increased the market share of the brand. Bournvita later became a market leader in its category. To improve nutritional needs, in 1994, the firm included essential vitamins and minerals in Bournvita.
Other products of the company include Cadbury Eclairs, Malta sweets, Trebor and Peppermint original.
