Building Capacity For Supply Chain Needs In AI Challenged Environment

It was an evening to remember in years to come in the transport and supply chain sectors of the economy. Eight supply chain professionals were conferred with fellowship honour in recognition of their contributions to the growth of the industry in an annual lecture and dinner programme laced with nine categories of Supply Chain Excellence Award.

The event with the theme: “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Supply Chain” with two masterclass topics on: “Strategies to Cushion the effect of the Rising cost of Logistics” and “Big Data Analytics and its impact on Supply Chain” featuring fellowship investiture and membership induction was organized in Lagos recently by the African Centre for Supply Chain(ACSC).

This, no doubt, has raised the exigency to not only develop but galvanize capacity for the maximization of the blue economy resources applying the best of the dynamic technologies in this era of growing awareness in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in corporate strategic management of human and material resources.

Among the fellows are: Engr. Osasere Malachi Evbuomwan is currently the managing director and chief executive officer(CEO), Almowe Engineering & Consultancy Services Limited (AESL). As MD/CEO, he oversees the daily operations of the company, delivering projects for diverse clients in Oil and Gas, ICT, Manufacturing, Building, Telecommunications industries, across Nigeria. He is responsible for business development, resource management and project execution.

He served as Commissioner in Edo State. First, as the Commissioner for the defunct Ministry of Transportation, Edo State, where he contributed immensely to the re-organization of the Transport sector in Edo State by introducing the use of Bar codes in all public vehicles (buses, cabs and taxis) in the state, to ensure the safety and security of the residents of Edo state. He was then Seconded to the Directorate of Special Duties (Governor’s Office), as a Commissioner in charge of constituency projects across the state. He ensured the distribution of relief materials to the flood victims in the state during the 2022 flood incident.

Within some months he was redeployed to the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, where he was charged with the responsibility to make Edo a clean, green and sustainable state Engr. Evbuomwan holds a B.Eng. Electrical/Electronics Engineering, from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi. He started his secondary education from Gbenoba Grammar School Agbor, Delta State and then transferred to Federal Government College, Warri Delta State, where he completed his secondary education.

Peter Amahwe, is the Procurement & Logistics Manager, OCP Africa Fertilizers Nigeria Limited
Resourceful Business Manager with proficiency in Supply Chain and Operations Management, having 20 years of work experience across various sector Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Agriculture. He has leadership and managerial experience in Plant Management, ERP Systems and Work Process Mapping, Import and Vessel Discharge Operations, Distribution and Sales Support, Procurement and Inventory Management, Quality Control, and Customer Service. He is passionate about what he does and always goal-oriented. He drives collaboration among peers, teamwork and transformation within organization, value mentorship and reverse mentoring within an organization. He has Master’s in Business Administration(MBA) from African Business School Casablanca/Columbia University, NYC and Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, 2001 obtained from Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria. Professional Association Member, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) UK.

Engr. Idowu Adebayo Adebowale is the Head of Maintenance, Maintenance Department, Dangote Packaging Limited.
Engr. Idowu is a Senior Level Technical Manager with 24 years of continuous supply Chain experience from Technician to Head of Power, Utilities,Workshop and Head of Maintenance. This is being acquired across multinational organization/ power Holding Company and Dangote Group for the purpose of cross functional capacity.

He possesses a Higher National Diploma(HND) in Electrical Engineering with his strong critical thinking skills and ability to manage and resolve both technical and people issues and take corrective actions independently.
Engr Idowu later obtained a Master’s in Business Administration, MBA with specialization in Supply Chain from the Malaysia University of Science and Technology. He possesses extensive knowledge of global manufacturing processes, covering equipment design, client site installation, product delivery.

Unwana Utuk is the Head, Supply Chain, Lekoil Nigeria Limited, an oil and gas exploration and production company with interests in Nigeria.
Unwana has extensive corporate expertise covering Corporate legal, Governance, Compliance & Due Diligence, Procurement, Logistics, Contracts and Commercial Management, Strategic Negotiation, Supplier/Stakeholder Management, Risk and Project Management.

With well over 18 years of experience and expertise in corporate services, Unwana is passionate about creating practical and easy-to-deploy performance metrics for managing projects and contract performance. This ensures that organizations that she works with achieve their desired overall business outcomes, while maintaining quality and ethical standards. She brings an intriguing combination of commercial and legal excellence in corporate and commercial transactions.

Unwana holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) from University of Uyo, a Master of Law (LLM) in International Commercial Law from University of London. She is a certified Commercial & Contract Manager (WCC. USA), a certified Project Management Professional and a member of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Kedarnath Kaushik is the managing director, DP World, Freight Forwarding business in Nigeria and a dedicated and accomplished supply chain professional with a solid educational foundation from India’s Premier Management colleges and 25 years of industrial experience handing end to end Supply Chain Management and Logistics.

He is specialized in managing complex supply chain across industries. Holding a first degree in Bachelor of Commerce from Delhi University and a postgraduate degree in Finance and Marketing from premier college in India i.e. Institute of Management and Technology, Ghaziabad, India.

Kaushik has consistently demonstrated optimizing supply chain operations in all the organizations he has worked for in last over two decades. Further advancing his knowledge, he earned a Diploma in Multi Model Transports & Logistics from Institute of Rail Transport, Ministry of Indian Railways. He also has a certification under his belt from APICS, USA and they have awarded him ‘Certificated Supply chain Professional’ Certificate.

Olutosin Ayorinde is the Procurement Manager, Unilever Nigeria Plc. She is a seasoned procurement professional with an impressive track record spanning over 17 years in supply chain management.

Throughout her dynamic career, she has consistently showcased a commitment to excellence and a flair for innovation. Her experience includes pivotal roles in renowned multinational organizations, including Mondelez (as known as Cadbury), Lafargeholcim, and her current position as the Procurement Manager at Unilever Plc.

Olutosin holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, a testament to her strong technical foundation. Her dedication to continuous learning is further reflected in her membership with the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS UK) and APICS (The Association for Operations Management).

A trailblazer in her field, Olutosin has garnered numerous accolades, underlining her impact and leadership. Notable among these is the Unilever Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards in 2022, where she was part of the team the bagged the Team of the Year.

Wilfred Lele Ollomwafor is the Consultant/Head of Department, Client Services DMS Nigeria Limited
An highly accomplished professional with a decade of experience in senior warehouse management, computer system analysis, materials control, and logistics coordination. I’ve achieved impressive results, including boosting operational efficiency and reducing procurement costs.
His certifications in Computer Systems Analysis and Supply Chain Management underscores his unique blend of skills and quantifiable achievements.
Professional career trajectory started in 1999 with DMS Nig. Limited , Free Zone Management Consultants –Oil & Gas Free Zone, Onne Consultant / Head of Department, Client Services, shipping, logistics and Free Zone consultation and managements. – Achieved a 20% improvement in tracking Free Zone inventory for all clients, ensuring real-time monitoring of goods. – Successfully reduced discrepancies and losses by 15% through effective management and maintenance of the Free Zone cargo inventory.

Dr Mrs Justus-oni Florence Adetutu is the executive director, Positive Life Development Initiative, a non-governmental organization. Justus-Oni is an assiduous administrator, whose integrity, veracity, uprightness and reliability have captivated everyone who came in contact with her as a seasoned career person and unblemished character worthy only of being regarded as an admirable role model.

Not satisfied with a single university certificate, she moved up the ladder of academy, this time, the chase took her to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, where she obtained a Master degree in Business Administration (MBA).

Adetutu proceeded to Ballsbridge University, Dominica, where she was awarded Doctor of Philosophy (Phd) in Strategic Management.
Professionally, she is a member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria, member, Chartered Institute of Stores administration of Nigeria, member, Chartered Institute of Purchasing, United States of America and member, Nigeria Institute of Management. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Professionals.

However, on the supply chain excellence awards category, the Director General of the ACSC, Dr. Obiorah Madu said it was introduced to recognize outstanding achievements in supply chain management, reward companies that have attained the highest standard in the sector, among others.

In its concluded third edition, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited(NBC) beat Lafarge Africa, MTN Nigeria and International Breweries to win the Supply Chain Excellence Award of the year 2023.

While Mr. Cephas Afebuameh beat other nominees to win the Supply Chain Personality/Manager of the Year; GPC emerged the Supply Chain Excellence in Transport and Logistics winner by leading other nominees which are, Transport Services Limited(TSL) and BHN.
GPC Energy and Logistics Limited is Nigeria’s leading independent transportation services provider, boasting a capacity exceeding 24,300TPD/8,869,500TPA. With over 780 active trucks and a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26%, GPC Energy and Logistics has emerged as a prominent player in the 3PL Transportation Logistics sector in West Africa.

Mr. Kayode Momoh, won the Procurement and Sourcing Excellence Award of the year with outstanding achievement of saving cost over N1.2billion in relation to the company’s budget for the year 2023. Momoh is General Manager Supply Chain at UAC Foods Limited and has over 15 years’ experience covering end-to-end supply chain. His other achievements include; Leading the tendering, contracting and delivery of a 36,000 bottles per hour Krones AG water line inclusive of all packaging materials which led to volume capacity growth of over 100 per cent.

UAC Foods beats Dangote Transport and Lafarge Africa to win the Sustainability and Green Supply Chain Award while the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology(NITT) Zaria, won the award as the Capacity Building/Development of the year.

MTN Nigeria emerged the winner of the Supply Chain Corporate Excellence Award in the Telecom Sector as Star Link Global and Ideal Limited won the Supply Chain Award of the Year in the Agric Sector.
Star Link Global and Ideal Limited, from its humble beginning, has grown tremendously achieving an annual turnover of between 2.0 – 3.0 billion naira within first 5 years of operation. With their team of vast and dedicated human resources they have grown steadily and achieving an annual turnover of about Naira 5.0 billion since incorporation

They are well represented in all cocoa producing zones of Nigeria and well poised to take the challenges of both the local and international market dynamics. They are vast in knowledge and experience of the Nigerian commodity markets is one that has been acquired over 40 years in the business and this is backed by a team of seasoned professionals drawn from reputable organizations and institutions in the country.

The event featured three unique resource persons with relevant knowledge in the dynamics of modern logistics and supply chain practice. They are:

Dr. Chika O. Yinka-Banjo (Ph.D), Associate Professor, Coordinator AI & Robotics Lab (AiRol). Department of Computer Science, University of Lagos; Mr. Olayemi Ariyo is the ICT Executive at MDS Logistics Limited, holding a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and Mr. Ezekiel Ojabulu, CEO/Co-founder, Prodrivers Africa.