NITAD’s Presidency: Ola Azeez Outlines 5-point Agenda

As preparation for election into the Leadership and Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD) hots up, a seasoned administrator and award winner, Asiwaju Olasunkade Azeez has offered answers as to why he remains the best candidate for the position of president.

The election is scheduled to come up on the 5th of November this year at the prestigious Lagos Chambers of Commerce and industries (LCCI), Central Business District, Ikeja, Lagos.

Having been second Vice-President of the institute, with cognate experience spanning more than two decades and avalanche of publications, certifications and training, Asiwaju Azeez maintained that he is coming on board to make meaningful impacts.

Asiwaju Azeez has served under the last 3 successive administrations . He was an elected Governing Council member and has headed many Committees of Council in the last 14 years and has won an award as the best Chairman of the best Committe of Council. He is the spokesperson of the Institute at the National Assembly’s public hearing on the charter of NITAD.

He was the Head of Learning Center of Cocacola Hellenic Bottling Company in Nigeria.

While stating his mission to lift the Institute established since 1989, Asiwaju Azeez listed the following to include his 5-Point agenda if given the opportunity to serve: Repositioning of the Institute’s value proposition; Standardization of Learning, Training and Development (LTD) practice; Improvement on membership engagement services.

Others are – Financial sustainability; and Secretariat repositioning.

He noted that the Institute requires the services of a vibrant, dynamic and committed administrator, particularly now that the nation’s critical sectors are in dire need of far-reaching interventions from all relevant institutions.

Profile of Asiwaju Azeez:
Olasunkade Azeez, MBA, FCIPM, FICMi, HRPL, FITD, ACIPD, SPHR.

Morufu Olasunkade Azeez has garnered high value net worth experiences as HR Leader, Business Process Improvement expert, Certified Coach/Mentor, Learning, Training and Development Leader, Senior Consultant, Member, Board of Directors, Board of Fellows, Governing Councils and Board of Trustees (BOT) across manufacturing, oil and gas, consulting, construction, real estate, aviation sectors, and Professional Institutes of the Nigerian economy in the last 3 decades. He started his working career with the Coca cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC), immediately after graduation in 1991. He served the Company meritoriously in various capacities that prepared him for subsequent value-creating career path.

He was the CCHBC’s pioneer Plant Personnel Manager for Ikeja B, Mushin and later moved to Enugu and Asejire Plants. He was an Acting Plant Sales Manager, Business Performance Management System Specialist and Corporate Training Manager/Head of Learning Centre, a senior management position that afforded him the opportunity to interface with Functional Directors to optimally drive Human Resource Development and organisational capability strategy of the world brand conglomerate franchise licensee in Nigeria. He is an international certified Trainer/Coach on Crossing Organizational Boundaries Reinforcing Alignment (COBRA).

Azeez is an alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, University of Lagos, UNILAG Consulting Services and Lagos State University, Ojo and he bagged Bachelor’s Degrees in Social Studies Education, Executive Diploma HRM, Postgraduate Diploma (PR), Nigerian Institute of Journalism, and MBA Marketing Management respectively. He is also an alumnus of many advanced management development programmes in Nigeria and abroad. He is an internationally certified Trainer in HR, Talent Management, Coaching, Mentoring, Performance Management Systems, Negotiation, Leadership, and Business Process Management System. Trained in Nigeria, Austria, Greece, Czech Republic, Ireland and Romania etc.

As a thoroughbred professional, he is a Fellow and currently, a Vice President of the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development, (NITAD), a Fellow, and a one-time, Governing Council Member of Chartered Institute of Nigeria, (CIPM) and also a Fellow/Member of Board of Trustees (BOT) of Change Management Institute International (ICMi).

He is currently the Group Head, Human Resources at Resort International Limited. The Group which comprises of fortune Companies in the Aviation, Construction and Properties Development industries. He was a Senior Consultant and Team Lead on HR Strategy and Change Management projects with Impact Business Consulting Services, a Business Strategic Partner with IBM, USA.  He joined CITA Petroleum Group Executive Team – (an IATA Strategic Partner and multiple awards winning enterprise) as General Manager, Human Capital with over 2 decades of value adding business partnering experience in HRM, Sales Operations, and General Administration, across various sectors. In addition to Human Capital portfolio, he managed the Logistics subsidiary – JIL Transport as its Chief Operating Officer in addition to an oversight responsibility for the Commercial and Business Development functions of the Group and subsequently became the COO, CITA Organic Ltd, with key responsibility for non-aviation fuelling business of the group. He is a change management and strategic turn around expert.

Azeez was at a time, the Head of HR with Dajcom Group – Dajcom Ltd and Dajcom Digital, a giant in the assembling, sales, distribution and after-sales of electronics of both industrial and domestic appliances in Nigeria. He was with Lexcel Group comprising 6 fortune companies with diverse interests ranging from distilleries, marketing, oil & gas to PET products and management consultancy in Nigeria between 2009 and 2011 as its Group Development Manager. In this capacity, he supports the Group in Nigeria and Ghana. He also worked with Multi-Trex Integrated Foods PLC, the Cocoa processing Company, as the Group Head, Human Capital & Administration where he provides business partnering services to the Company in Nigeria, Zambia, UK, and Netherlands among others.

He is an accomplished Facilitator, Motivational Speaker, Public Affairs Analyst, certified Coach/Mentor, Columnist and a multiple award winner which includes: Inspirational HR Leadership Award by Lagos State Branch of CIPM, Distinguished Alumni Award, Faculty of Education- O.A.U, Ile-Ife, MICA’s African Leadership Laurel Awards; African Associates of HR Leaders (AAHRL), Accra, the Best HR Practitioner of the Year 2010 by the Personnel Practitioners Consultative Association (PPCA), Ikeja, Lions Club International, District Governor 404 B Nigeria’s award. He is currently a District Cabinet Officer of Lions District 404B2, Nigeria.

Azeez is a highly rated member of faculty to many Professional Institutes and Learning and Development Consulting outfits in Nigeria and abroad such as, ITF, NECA, CIPM, CIA, NIM, MAN, NITAD, Tom Associates, Occupational Management Organisation, OML, Accra, among others. He has facilitated various high profile programmes in both Public and Private Sectors of Nigerian economy.

He is currently serving as a member of Board of the following Organisations: Edge Consultancy Services, Ontario, Canada, HR Derivatives Ltd, the Publisher of HR Guide, the flagship of Nigeria’s HR Magazine and CORA HR Consulting Ltd. He served on the Board of ABC Human Development Consultants Ltd, a partner with Willis Group, United Kingdom. As a member of Committee of Personnel Experts (COPE), an arm of Nigerian Employers Consultative Association NECA, he served as a Panel member of 2014 National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) that negotiated and concluded improved condition of service of the sector representing Precision Electrical and Related Equipment Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PEREAN).  He has over 20 published papers and a path finder book for Learning & Development Practitioners to his credit.   He is happily married and blessed with children.