CHOCOLATE CITY GROUP RESTRUCTURES, ANNOUNCES HAKEEM BELLO OSAGIE AS GROUP CHAIRMAN

Leading entertainment company Chocolate City Group (CCG) recently reconstituted its board naming renowned entrepreneur Mr Hakeem Bello Osagie as its chairman. Other board members include Yahaya Maikori, Paul Okeugo and Audu Maikori.

Hakeem holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School, a law degree from Cambridge University and an M.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar. He started his career as a petroleum economist and a lawyer. For over three decades, he has been a key player in the Nigerian economy through his participation in several businesses in the private sector particularly in the energy, finance and telecommunications sectors.

He until recently served as the Chairman of the board of directors of the United Bank for Africa Plc. one of the largest commercial banks in Nigeria. He is also the founder and former Chairman of First Securities Discount House, Nigeria’s leading money markets and treasury bill trading financial services firm, in which the IFC is an equity investor.

Currently he sits as Chairman of Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Ltd (‘EMTS’), a mobile telephone operator that operates in Nigeria under the ‘Etisalat’ brand as well the Abuja Investment Company.

Chocolate City Group CEO Audu Maikori said: “As Chocolate City enters this new phase of global expansion and rolls out next generation services for its artists, clients and media partners we are very pleased to welcome Mr. Hakeem Osagie an entrepreneur par excellence who shares our passion and vision of creating a world class entertainment brand. He will bring to Chocolate City years of vast international experience, relationships and a uniquely successful track record in global business excellence plus invaluable guidance as we execute our objective of building the leading entertainment brand in Africa”.

The Chocolate City Group is comprised of three companies -Chocolate City Music (home to artistes like Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince, Brymo, Dj Caise and MI (who is also a Director of the subsidiary) amongst others-Chocolate City Media and Chocolate City Movies.

Chocolate City Group recently won the prestigious Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship 2011(www.africaawards.com), which held in Nairobi, Kenya in December 2011. CCG was selected from over 3,300 applications from 48 countries around Africa and became the first entertainment company to win the award since its inception in 2007.

The company has since 2005 continued to set standards in the entertainment industry around Africa, selling over 35 Million albums till date and winning a slew of local and international awards including the global award for Music business i.e. International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year (IYMEY) by the British Council in 2007.

For further information visit www.chocolatecitygroup.com.