Heineken Africa Foundation appoints Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola as board chair

AFRICA – The Heineken Africa Foundation has announced the appointment of Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola as Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Ms. Adebiyi-Abiola has a remarkable track record in waste management and recycling in developing countries, with 14 years of experience in social entrepreneurship, public sector and software development.

In 2012, she co-founded and ran Wecyclers Corporation, a recycling company in Nigeria that serves densely populated urban neighborhoods.

From 2017 to 2019, she served as the Chief Executive of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Archives and Records Office.

Ms. Adebiyi-Abiola holds a BSc in Computer Science from Fisk UniversityFisk University, Master of Science in Computer Science from Vanderbilt University and an MBA Business Administration and Management from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Commenting on the appointment, Suzanne Giele, CEO of the foundation stated “The appointment of Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola is an exciting moment in the history of the Foundation. She will bring to the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation her entrepreneurial and public sector leadership skills in Africa.”

Ms. Adebiyi-Abiola takes over the helm of the organization from Guus Lubsen, who since January 2014 succeeded in resizing and accelerating the activities of the foundation.

Some of the notable achievements that were realized during his tenure include committing €5 million to support water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects in eight African countries as part of its COVID-19 response program.

In 2020, this reached more than 30 million people with crucial hygiene messages for their health. More than 1,000 handwashing stations have been installed in critical locations, including public markets, giving 1.5 million people the opportunity to wash their hands.

The Foundation is currently completing the second phase of WASH programs in eight countries.

“It is an honor to lead an organization whose commitment has such a significant impact on communities in Africa.

“I am delighted to see the great work the Foundation has done over the past two years with the Covid-19 response program.

“This shows the ambition of the Foundation and I look forward to working with my fellow trustees to see how it will be able to expand its reach even further in the years to come,” said Adebiyi-Abiola.

The Heineken Africa Foundation was established in 2007 with the aim of building sustainable communities in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa where its main financier, Heineken Company operates.

Over the years, the foundation has committed €16 million to 136 projects located in 10 countries and has built up strong expertise in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and other health-related projects.