NANCY NWANZE
Lagos
Summary
A seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in regulatory advisory, regulatory risk management, public policy advocacy, regulatory campaign planning, international trade, government relations, tax policy management, market entry strategy, import and export compliance and strategic communication across over 35 African countries. A motivated business management expert with a proven track record in ensuring the profitability of CPG companies through regulatory management and leading the execution of market entry strategy.
A team player and independent thinker with problem-solving and decision-making skills, the ability to facilitate, communicate, influence, and build relationships with senior management and external stakeholders to develop a holistic approach to regulatory management that protects and enhances the efficiency of businesses and operations.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Customs, Excise and Trade Compliance – Africa
GUINNESS NIGERIA (A DIAGEO ENTITY)
NIGERIA
2021.05 - Current
- Lead a multi-disciplinary team of 8 tax professionals to provide strategic direction and achieve commercial objectives for effectively managing Diageo’s customs, excise and trade compliance activities in Africa.
- Guide on Commodity (HS) Code classification, customs valuation, commodity duty rate, excise tax duty, the Free Trade Agreement, and the Rules of Origin.
- Provide tax, regulatory and trade policy advisory on import and export procedures, laws and regulations for 8 African business entities (countries) to ensure compliance.
- Develop and implement the regional trade strategy to support market expansion and supply chain optimization for 8 African business entities (countries).
- Drive supply chain effectiveness and customs compliance by effectively implementing and managing trade compliance technology solutions and systems.
- Execute a policy analysis and impact assessment of customs and excise legislative changes in various African countries to ensure trade compliance.
- Oversee customs, excise, trade, regulatory licenses, and duty refund and duty drawback processes across multiple African countries.
- Manage stakeholder relationships, analyse scenarios, assess value at stake, and develop trade policy intelligence and advocacy strategies for customs and excise matters across Diageo markets in Africa.
- Identify and manage potential customs and excise risks and opportunities in Africa to align with Diageo’s strategic objectives. Implement a regulatory compliance framework for customs, excise, and trade policies.
Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager – Francophone West Africa (Niger, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Togo, Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau)
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO WEST AFRICA
NIGERIA
2020.01 - 2021.01
- Manged and executed the regional business strategies on tobacco regulations, fiscal (finance, excise, and tax), and trade (Customs, import and export) policies for 8 Francophone countries.
- Executed risk assessment to validate business decisions and implemented advocacy campaigns on government-related policies to drive the BAT business agenda in Francophone West Africa countries
- Provided advisory on the impact of tobacco regulations, trade (customs, import and export) regulations, Free Trade Agreements (ETLS) to ensure regulatory compliance across the Francophone West Africa markets.
- Delivered the business expansion strategy by identifying market entry opportunities for new product category
- Spearheaded the government approval process on the classification of the first BAT non-tobacco nicotine product in Nigeria
- Led and facilitated the development and delivery of West African (Benin and Togo) regional export process – to minimise the impact of the 2020 tax increase and successfully obtained an approval, leading to £1M+ saving.
Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager - Nigeria
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO NIGERIA LIMITED
NIGERIA
2017.01 - 2020.01
- Managed a team of 5 people to execute business strategies for tobacco control regulations, fiscal (finance, customs, excise, and tax) and trade (manufacturing, import and export) policies.
- Provided advisory on the impact of tobacco regulations, trade (customs, import and export) regulations, and Free Trade Agreements (ETLS) to ensure regulatory compliance in Nigeria.
- Executed impact analysis on policy, trade and economic challenges affecting the business operations in Nigeria.
- Managed customs approval, trade incentives (Export Expansion Grants), regulatory licenses, excise duty drawback and across some countries in Africa.
- Negotiated the licensing fees for tobacco operators in Nigeria, leading to £1.4M+ annual saving and coordinated the advocacy campaign to resolve business-related issues in the tobacco control regulations for Nigeria.
- Oversaw the policy campaign with the Nigerian government to implement a 3-years excise policy for the tobacco industry, leading to £40M + GBP saving over 2 years for BAT.
- Led a team to execute a structural review of the tobacco leaf import permit to aid sustainable sourcing of tobacco leaves, saving £5M+ GBP annually.
External Affairs Manager – Anglophone West Africa (Ghana, Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone)
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO GHANA LIMITED
GHANA
2014.01 - 2017.01
- Managed all regulatory issues (Fiscal Policy, Legislative Instruments, Customs, Trade and business-related policies/laws, and Tobacco Control Laws) to ensure smooth business operations in Anglophone West Africa.
- Provided advisory on the impact of tobacco regulations, trade (customs, import and export) regulations, and Free Trade Agreements (ETLS) to ensure regulatory compliance across the Anglophone West African countries
- Led the implementation process of the tax stamp programme for the tobacco industry in Ghana and negotiated the cost of the stamp to cover machinery investment, saving £1M+ GBP.
- Facilitated the policy campaign to review the tobacco excise policy in the Gambia, which resulted in 700K+ GBP savings, greater market share (10%), and a 30% increase, making BAT the market leader in 2018.
- Negotiated the downward review of the brand registration fee from £22K+ per brand to £12K+ per brand, saving BAT Ghana £55K GBP annually and secured an excise duty refund of £100K+.
Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Executive – West Africa Area (Nigeria)
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO NIGERIA LIMITED
NIGERIA
2011.01 - 2014.01
Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Executive – West Africa Markets (Cameroon and Ghana)
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO NIGERIA LIMITED
NIGERIA
2011.01 - 2014.01
Management Trainee
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO NIGERIA LIMITED
NIGERIA
2011.01 - 2014.01
Advocacy Officer
PRIMARY HEALTHCARE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
NIGERIA
2009.01 - 2010.01
Education
Master of Business Administration -
London Business School
07.2024
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) -
University of London
2019-08
BSc Physiology -
University of Benin
2008-11
Skills
- Legal, public policy and tax advocacy
- Trade & Export Finance
- Tax, Regulation and Compliance
- Customs and Excise Regulations
- Leadership and Team Management
- Regulatory Risk Management
- Tax processes and technology
- Stakeholder Management
- Global Trade Regulatory Compliance
- Import and Export Compliance
Additionalachievements and interests
- Diageo: Finance Excellence Award as Global Expert
- BAT: Golden Star Award, Highest Award by the Company Management, for the successful tax stamp project in Ghana.
- BAT: Golden Star Award for delivering a successful campaign for the more equitable tobacco control law in Nigeria.
- Interest - Travelling, Technology and Entrepreneurship
Timeline
Head of Customs, Excise and Trade Compliance – Africa
GUINNESS NIGERIA (A DIAGEO ENTITY)
2021.05 - Current
Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager – Francophone West Africa (Niger, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Togo, Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau)
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO WEST AFRICA
2020.01 - 2021.01
Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager - Nigeria
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO NIGERIA LIMITED
2017.01 - 2020.01
External Affairs Manager – Anglophone West Africa (Ghana, Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone)
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO GHANA LIMITED
2014.01 - 2017.01
Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Executive – West Africa Area (Nigeria)
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO NIGERIA LIMITED
2011.01 - 2014.01
Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Executive – West Africa Markets (Cameroon and Ghana)
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO NIGERIA LIMITED
2011.01 - 2014.01
Management Trainee
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO NIGERIA LIMITED
2011.01 - 2014.01
Advocacy Officer
PRIMARY HEALTHCARE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
2009.01 - 2010.01
Master of Business Administration -
London Business School
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) -
University of London
BSc Physiology -
University of Benin
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