The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of FAE Limited, Princess Layo Bakare-Okeowo, has bagged the Centre for Values in Leadership – Leader Without Title (CVL- LWT) award of leadership excellence in entrepreneurship and manufacturing.
She received the award at the 60th edition of CVL LWT Leadership Tribute Colloquium themed: ‘Moving from Consumption to Production: The Challenges’ held in Lagos.
Bakare-Okeowo has over 40 years experience in the paper manufacturing sector. Her awe-inspiring journey culminated in a recognition for her outstanding contributions to the business world.
Her company, FAE Limited, is a private limited liability company setup to manufacture paper packing products, with focus on envelopes for clients within and outside Nigeria.
It is currently the largest envelope manufacturer in Nigeria with a distribution network that cuts across several African countries.
While receiving the award, she expressed joy over the recognition. “I am happy that people are taking note of the good works we are doing and I must let you know that honesty, truthfulness and a success mindset contributed to my achievement of success in life,” she said.
She seized the opportunity to call on Nigerian government to provide immediate interventions and sustainable policies to support manufacturing and advance the country’s industrialization agenda.
The entrepreneur stressed the need for a functional paper mill in Nigeria, to preserve the $3bn used to import paper for production. Egypt with its population has about 40 paper mill clusters.
She further encouraged Nigerians to embrace local products, whether perfect or not, so that Nigerian manufacturers can become the pride of the world.
“It has become necessary to allow Nigerian manufacturers make mistakes in their growth process, learn from their mistakes, re-strategize and expand for global competitiveness.
“We must address the issues affecting manufacturing in order to revive comatose industries and discipline those that are not compliant with the ‘buy made in Nigeria goods executive orders’.
In his remark, the Founder of CVL, Prof. Pat Utomi, stated that the LWT colloquium was focused on the live-wires of economic growth and transformation, entrepreneurship and manufacturing.
