Tolaram Appoints Ladoja As MD/CEO Of Lagos Free Zone

The Board of Directors of Tolaram, one of Nigeria’s leading conglomerates, has announced the appointment of Adesuwa Ladoja as the managing director/CEO of one of its subsidiaries – the Lagos Free Zone Company.

According to a statement issued by the Board of Directors to its stakeholders, the appointment is effective July 1, 2024. Adesuwa Ladoja takes over from Dinesh Rathi, who has been moved to the position of group finance director, Tolaram.

Ladoja brings extensive experience in infrastructure development and strategic leadership. She has been a key player in the development of the Lekki Deep Sea Port project, leading to its financial close in 2020, the completion of its construction in 2022 and commercial operation in 2023. Her leadership and strategic vision have been critical to the project’s success.

Adesuwa Ladoja, a Lawyer, started her career in general commercial practice and litigation as an Associate at Ajumogobia & Okeke. This was followed by over a decade at KPMG Professional Services, where she specialised in Tax, Regulatory, and People Services.

She holds a Bachelor of Law degree (LL. B Hons) from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Master of Law (LL.M Hons) degree in International Business Law from King’s College, University of London. She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and several other professional bodies and a notary public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The board believes that her multifaceted expertise will be invaluable in driving the Lagos Free Zone Company’s growth and innovation agenda. Ladoja said “I am honoured to be given this opportunity, and I look forward to continuing the good work done by Dinesh and the team at LFZ in creating a unique industrial ecosystem which places sustainability and customer-centricity at its core. Lagos Free Zone with its integrated Lekki Port is the perfect illustration of what ease of doing business represents and we look forward to hosting more companies.”

Established in 2012, Lagos Free Zone (LFZ) is an award-winning port-based industrial zone (850 hectares) in Lagos, Nigeria, with over USD 2.5 billion committed FDI projects to date. Owned and promoted by Tolaram, LFZ is located in Lekki, the sunrise development corridor in Lagos.

With its vision is to be the preferred industrial hub in West Africa, Lagos Free Zone is currently home to global brands like BASF, Kellogg’s, Colgate, Arla, Dufil, and Lekki Port, among others. Lekki Port at LFZ started operations in April 2023. It is the deepest seaport in Nigeria, with a draft of 16.5m and the capacity to handle 1.2mn TEUs per annum.