The Managing Director/CEO, Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) PLC, Basil Agboarumi has been awarded Leads Africa’s Patriotic Personality Awards by The League of African Development Students (LEADS).

LEADS is the umbrella body for all Democratic Students Unions in Africa which started in 1985 at the Bayero University, Kano with the objective of sensitizing its members on Development of Best Practices and now represents 25 countries in Africa.

Speaking during the Awards presentation which took place at SAHCO Corporate Headquarters in Lagos, Osisiogu Osike, Secretary General of LEADS stated that the organization’s quest for role models led the team to Basil Agboarumi who they described as a rare gem and a role model to the youths in Africa, having steered SAHCO to greatness in the past two years.

In his words “In doing this, we seek to find ourselves Role Models, Outstanding Institutions and Mentors in life as we found in Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) PLC and her Managing Director/ CEO, Basil Agboarumi. He is a renowned Corporate and Public Affairs person per excellence who midwifed the re-branding of SAHCO, he has an impressive and exemplary antecedence in Aviation Ground Handling practice, having had a vibrant, dynamic and remarkable 2 decades of immense contributions and indeed, oversight assignments. His sincere commitment to utmost innovation, reliability and professionalism in the subsector stands him out from his contemporaries.”

In her remarks, Okpebuo Jennifer, Director of Gender, LEADS Africa commended Agboarumi’s capacity and proficiency in private and public service, philanthropy and other assignments/ideas generation and implementation, describing him as “A Patriotic Nigerian Technocrat” “an Innovative and gallant Public Servant” “diligent, amiable, intelligent and humble patriot of impeccable antecedence.” Stating that LEADS was there to celebrate the culmination of his superlative service history as “AFRICA’s Patriotic personality of the year.

Responding to the award, the awardee, Basil Agboarumi thanked LEADS Africa for finding him worthy of recognition. He dedicated the award to God, then to all staff and Management of SAHCO PLC for working hard to ensure safe, speedy and efficient Aviation Ground Handling Services to clients. He urged the youths to be steadfast in their dealings because there are rewards for every action.

Basil Agboarumi is an enthusiastic and passionate professional, with more than 19 years’ experience with increased leadership skills and abilities in Aviation Ground Handling & Public Relations/management; demonstrating a strong background in government, corporations and nonprofit organizations.

Agboarumi holds a National Diploma (OND) in Mass Communication from the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication from the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, and a Masters in Communications Studies (MSc) from the Lagos State University, and a Certificate in Creative Design & Digital Communication from the School of Media & Communications of the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.

Basil joined the Skypower Aviation Handling Company Limited, then a subsidiary of the Nigeria Airways Limited, as the Pioneer staff/Head of the Public Affairs Unit. After the privatization and subsequent takeover of Skypower Aviation Handling Company Limited by the SIFAX Group in 2009, Basil Agboarumi was appointed the Head of Corporate Communications, with a mandate to spearhead the re-branding of the new company (Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited).

He was elevated to the position of General Manager in 2014, and thereafter made to head the Corporate Communications & Information Technology (IT) departments of SAHCO, providing leadership for the day to day operations of the units.

Basil Agboarumi is a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD Nigeria), a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (FNIPR), an Associate Member of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (arpa), and an Alumnus of the Pan-Atlantic University

Basil, a recipient of various awards for his “distinct industry and outstanding contributions impacting positively on Nigeria’s Reputation”, is a result-oriented, good team player, motivator, with excellent people skill who has a successful track record in Leadership.

He is currently the Managing Director/CEO of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc. (SAHCO).