The Group CFO is a member of the Group Leadership Team and serves as the principal financial steward of Leading Edible Oils & Agro-Industrial Group and its subsidiaries. The role is accountable for the integrity of the Group's financial reporting, the strength of its balance sheet, the discipline of its capital allocation and the robustness of its risk and control environment.
Beyond stewardship, the Group CFO is a strategic partner to the Group MD/CEO and the Board, translating commercial ambition into a credible financial roadmap covering funding strategy, working capital optimisation, cost competitiveness, M&A and portfolio decisions, and long-term value creation for shareholders. The role also carries direct responsibility for building institutional-grade finance capability — systems, controls, talent and reporting discipline — appropriate for a company of Leading Edible Oils & Agro-Industrial Group' scale and ambition.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Financial Leadership
- Co-own the Group's strategic and business plans with the Group MD/CEO, ensuring financial rigour underpins growth, capacity expansion, and diversification decisions.
- Lead the development of the Group's medium- and long-term financial strategy, including capital structure, funding mix and dividend policy.
- Advise the Board and Executive Committee on capital allocation, investment appraisal, pricing strategy and margin management across the product portfolio.
- Evaluate and lead M&A, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships, including due diligence, valuation and post-transaction integration.
Financial Planning, Reporting & Analysis
- Oversee annual budgeting, rolling forecasts and long-range financial planning across the Group and its subsidiaries.
- Ensure timely, accurate and IFRS-compliant consolidated financial statements and management accounts for the Board, shareholders and regulators.
- Drive commercial and manufacturing cost analytics, including cost-of-goods and input-cost sensitivity (palm oil, soybean, energy), to protect and improve margins.
- Deliver Board-ready reporting packs, KPI dashboards and variance analysis that translate financial performance into actionable business insight.
Treasury, Funding & Capital Markets
- Manage the Group's liquidity, banking relationships, working capital and cash flow, with particular attention to FX exposure given the Group's reliance on imported raw materials and equipment.
- Structure and negotiate debt facilities, trade finance and supply-chain financing to support operations and expansion at competitive cost.
- Lead engagement with banks, DFIs, rating agencies and, where relevant, capital markets, positioning Leading Edible Oils & Agro-Industrial Group for future financing rounds or a potential public listing.
- Own the Group's hedging strategy for commodity price and currency risk.
Risk, Controls, Tax & Compliance
- Establish and continuously strengthen the internal control framework, segregation of duties and financial governance across all Group entities.
- Ensure full compliance with Nigerian tax legislation (FIRS, LIRS), statutory filings, and regulatory requirements from bodies including NAFDAC, SON and NESREA insofar as they carry financial or reporting implications.
- Oversee enterprise risk management, insurance strategy and business continuity planning from a financial perspective.
- Manage the external audit relationship and ensure timely resolution of audit findings and management letter points.
Organisational & People Leadership
- Build, mentor and lead a high-performing finance organisation across reporting, treasury, tax, FP&A and internal control.
- Champion the adoption of modern ERP, financial systems and automation to improve the speed, accuracy and integrity of financial data.
- Instil a culture of financial discipline, accountability and commercial ownership across the wider business, not only within the finance function.
- Represent the Group in engagements with shareholders, lenders, regulators and other external stakeholders.