The Chairman of NESO, who was the erstwhile Chairman and Managing Director of Lever Brothers Nig. Ltd. (Now Unilever Nigeria Plc), currently the Chairman and Managing Consultant, Omolayole and Associates, Dr M.O Omolayole, had conceived the idea of establishing an Executive Service Organisation in Nigeria, patterned after British Executive Service Organisation (BESO), Canadian Executive Service Organisation (CESO) and Australian Executive Service Organisation (AESOP).

BESO and CESO had been in existence for over three decades, providing professional and technical experts (Volunteers/Advisers) to serve as mentors and advisers to business, government agencies and social enterprises in developing countries. Dr. Omolayole thought that it would be helpful to have an indigenous Executive Service Organisation in Nigeria which is blessed with abundance of retired and virile Professionals and Executives.

He tested this idea in September year 2000, when he put up a newspaper advert requesting for volunteers from retired Executives, Professionals and Administrators as well as high level man-power in self employment. He got a pleasant surprise, which proved him right. Over 100 high caliber people volunteered their services and this cut across different professions viz Medicine, Pharmacy, Education, Law Engineering, Human Resources Management, Production Engineering / Production Control, Accounting, Banking and Finance, Agriculture, Insurance etc. The stage was then set for incorporating NESO as a Non Governmental Organisation.