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Dangote Cement Remits N412.9bn to Govt in 3 years

Dangote Cement Remits N412.9bn to Govt in 3 years

Dangote Cement Plc, a subsidiary of Dangote Industries Limited, (DIL), paid a total of N412.9 billion into the coffers of the Federal Government as tax for 3 consecutive years. A total of N97.24 billion was paid by Dangote Cement in 2020, N173.93 billion in 2021 and N141.69 billion in 2022.

This huge tax payment from only one of the conglomerate’s subsidiaries, re-affirms Aliko Dangote’s position that prompt and accurate tax payment is a duty for everyone who wishes to witness real growth and development. He posited that government cannot offer social services to the citizens without tax collection.

Dangote also advised the government to automate the tax system in the county, while commending the inauguration of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms

“Maybe they should look at automating the tax system, just like what they did in India. If you go to India today, the country collects at least $1 trillion in various taxes. On petroleum products alone, India makes $100 billion yearly, because they charge 100 per cent on petroleum products. So, what I am suggesting is that people should pay tax and if you pay, you demand services from government. I think it is a social contract.

“Once people start seeing that government is using the money to do infrastructure, fund education, healthcare, whereby the citizens don’t need to go out to India or other countries for medical attention, then people would settle down and start paying taxes,” the renowned entrepreneur added.

Meanwhile, other listed companies of Dangote Industries Ltd, also paid huge taxes to the Federal Government during the said period. Both Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc and NASCON Allied Industries Plc are listed on the Nigeria Exchange Limited.   

Analysis of the yearly annual reports of Dangote’s three listed companies indicated that they paid N114.31 billion as tax in 2020; N187.17 billion in 2021 and N172.15 billion in 2022.

During the three years, Dangote Cement paid a total of N412.86 billion as taxes, Dangote Sugar Refinery paid N55.38 billion, while NASCON Allied Industries paid N5.39 billion.

A total of N97.24 billion was paid by Dangote Cement in 2020, N173.93 billion in 2021 and N141.69 billion in 2022. Dangote Sugar Refinery paid N15.85 billion in 2020, N11.97 billion in 2021 and N27.56 billion in 2022. For NASCON Allied Industries, it was N1.22 billion in 2020, N1.27 billion in 2021 and N2.9 billion in 2022. 

The analysis indicated that companies from Dangote Group had remained major contributors to the nation’s economy with the volume of taxes paid in the period under review. The group has given Nigeria hope of earning income through economic diversification, implying that the nation can wean herself from dependence on export of crude oil as major source of government income.

Dangote Industries Limited is a diversified and fully integrated conglomerate as well as a leading brand across Africa in businesses such as cement, sugar, salt, beverages, and real estate, with new multibillion-dollar projects underway in the oil and gas, petrochemical, fertiliser and agricultural sectors.

Dangote Cement Plc is Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest cement producer with an installed capacity of 51.6Mta capacity across 10 African countries. The company operates a fully integrated ‘quarry-to-customer’ business with activities covering manufacturing, sales and distribution of cement. It has a production capacity of 35.3Mta in its home market, Nigeria.

The Obajana plant in Kogi State, Nigeria, is the largest in Africa with 16.3Mta of capacity across four lines; the Ibese plant in Ogun State has four cement lines with a combined installed capacity of 12Mta, the Gboko plant in Benue state has 4Mta, while Okpella plant in Edo State has 3Mta.

Dangote Cement Plc has a long-term credit rating of AAA by GCR, AA by Fitch and Aa2.ng by Moody’s due to its market-leading position, significant operational scale, and strong financial profile evidenced by the company’s robust operating and net profit margins relative to regional and global peers, adequate working capital, good cash flow, and low leverage.

The excellent credit ratings are due to its leading market position, significant operational scale, strong financial performance profile demonstrated by its robust financial profile relative to regional and global peers, adequate working capital, strong cash generation, and low leverage.

Dangote Sugar is a leading brand that has made a remarkable impact on the Nigerian sugar sector.  Dangote Sugar refining facility at Apapa is the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 1.44MT per annum installed capacity. The company’s sugar backward integration projects located at Numan, in Adamawa state is focused on cultivation and milling of sugarcane to finished sugar.

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Dangote Beats MTN, Globacom, Others To Emerge Most Valuable Brand In Nigeria For 6th Consecutive Year

Dangote Beats MTN, Globacom, Others To Emerge Most Valuable Brand In Nigeria For 6th Consecutive Year

Dangote Industries Limited has emerged as Nigeria’s most valuable brand for the sixth consecutive year. This achievement was confirmed by the brand and marketing firm, TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA, as part of its comprehensive 2023 Top Brands perception assessment.

Winning the award for a record 6th time confirms the foremost African indigenous Conglomerate’s unwavering dominance of the domestic brand space.

TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA, is a qualitative, non-financial evaluation of top corporate brands in the country.  The annual top brands league table which has become like a report card, with which top corporate brands have a feel of their ranking in the market is done with a special purpose model, the Brand Strength Measurement (BSM Index).

The rating firm in a statement said that Dangote got an impressive aggregate score of 86.2 on the Brand Strength Measurement (BSM) index, reinforcing its position at the forefront. The score reflects the consistent excellence of the brand.

MTN remains a strong contender, securing a close second place with an 85 BSM index score. This year’s third and fourth positions are secured by Airtel Nigeria and Globacom, both with BSM index scores of 77.9 and 77 respectively. Interestingly, this reaffirms the prominence of telecom brands, with three out of the top four hailing from this sector. Among the Top 10 brands are Access Bank, Zenith Bank, Coca-Cola, GTCO, and First Bank, Globacom was adjudged the Most Popular Brand following the outcome of a Top of Mind (TOM) Survey, where respondents mentioned 10 brands that came to their mind or that they could easily recall. 

This year’s survey had as respondents Chief Marketing Officers and Head of Corporate Communications of major companies across the land.

TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA announcing the ratings said, “this annual top brand evaluation provides a qualitative, non-financial assessment of the value of leading corporate brands in the country. It gauges consumers’ perceptions of brands and their impact on overall brand strength, using the Brand Strength Measurement (BSM) index—a model designed to assess a brand’s ability to deliver on its promises from the consumer’s perspective.”

In today’s market, brands have woven themselves into the fabric of our daily lives, from dawn to dusk and even in every consumer choice. This phenomenon is amplified by the rise of concepts like consumer awareness, differentiation, and the dynamics of the global economy, making brands pivotal actors.

Chief Executive Officer of TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA Taiwo Oluboyede, speaking on the outcome of this year’s evaluation, likened brand to a person.  He said, “A brand is like a person with all the traits that define his/her personality to the audience. When you hear someone’s name, you are likely not just going to remember their faces or apparel, but who they really are and what they mean to you.”

“Someone may claim to be the best man in the world, and could even go as far as doing paid advertising to attract attention. However, the real description of the person to you is your experience. Perception about a person could change from like to dislike or the other way round, the same is also true for a brand. That is why promoters go the extra length consistently remain in the target audience like-list” he added.

He elaborated that the onus lies with brand owners and promoters to uphold compelling propositions and consistently deliver on promises. “It’s not just about making pledges anyway; it’s about steadfastly living up to them—a commitment that separates the top brands from the rest,” he stated.

A breakdown of the 2023 evaluation report indicated that Nigerian-owned brands continued to shine among the top 10, with 10 brands. These are Dangote, Globacom, Access Bank, Zenith Bank, GTCO, and  First Bank.

Five of the top ten brands are Banks, while three are Telecoms. Impressively, 9 of the 10 were among the top 10 last year, while 4 maintained their previous position. Airtel Nigeria made a remarkable ascent to third place. Also, six brands have consistently maintained top 10 positions for a remarkable 7 years in a row.

Overall, 26 or 52% of the 50 brands are multinational, while 24 or 48% are Nigerian brands.

Rite Foods Limited stands out as the highest gainer this year, leaping 14 places from 46th to 30th. Notably, Wema Bank makes a noteworthy debut in the annual brand ranking. Furthermore, nine brands maintained their 2022 positions, they are Dangote, MTN Nigeria, GTCO, First Bank, Multichoice, Fidelity, Toyota Nigeria, FMNPLC, and AXA Mansard.

A breakdown of the report indicated that Banking Services, as usual, had the largest entries with 12 entrants, representing 24% of the total. Access Bank topped the category. This is followed by Consumer Goods with 9 brands, that is 18%, with Dufil Prima Foods leading the charge.

The Conglomerates category has 6 brands, making up 12%, with Dangote Group on top. The Oil and gas, Beverages, and Telecom sectors each contribute 4 brands, with Oando, Coca-Cola, and MTN leading their respective categories.

The Insurance sector has 3 brands, with AIICO at the forefront. Meanwhile, the Building & Construction Services, Media, and Electronics categories had 2 brands each, featuring Julius Berger, Multichoice, and Tecno Nigeria leading their respective categories.

Automobile, Agricultural, and Aviation/Logistics sectors had 1 brand each —Toyota Nigeria, Olam International, and Air Peace.

Of note in the report also is a class called Brands to Watch, a set of 10 brands that have shown some level of vibrancy in recent times and are gaining momentum in consumer acquisition with the possibility of achieving the 50 top Brands League Table in few years. It should be noted that, while these brands have considerable mentions in the TOM survey, they were not strictly subjected to the rigorous BSM evaluation.

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Dangote Says Over 30,000 Skilled Nigerians Work With Expatriates To Build Refinery Complex

Dangote Says Over 30,000 Skilled Nigerians Work With Expatriates To Build Refinery Complex

Management of Dangote Refinery have debunked a report published on the online platforms of some media organisations that the company employed 11,000 skilled workers from India while allegedly neglecting youths from Nigeria and other African countries.

In his response, the Group Chief Branding & Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina said the report was written with malicious intent as it did not reflect the number of skilled Nigerians on site.

He said, the magnitude of the project requires specialized skilled workforce from all over the world and that while over 30,000 Nigerians were engaged among the skilled workforce, at the peak of construction in the Refinery complex, 6,400 Indians and 3,250 Chinese workers were among the skilled workforce.  

 He also said Nigerians on the project demonstrated high level of technical comeptence many hidden skills were discovered among them.

He advised the public to discountenance such malicious and twisted reports, and instead focus on the potential impact of the project on the overall economy and well-being of Nigerians as Dangote Group continues to be the leading light in employment generation.

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Chaos and Confusion Trail the introduction of Nigerian ‘Brown Card’

Chaos and Confusion Trail the introduction of Nigerian ‘Brown Card'

There is currently chaos and confusion over the hurried introduction of “Brown Card”, a new document for permanent residency for foreigners in Nigeria by the immediate past government.

The innovation, which was announced by the former minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola, was packaged without the input of relevant agencies and stakeholders. Aregbesola made the announcement at the conferral ceremony for 385 foreigners.

However, there has been apprehension and confusion since the introduction as stakeholders are querying the hurried nature of the new policy. These worries revolve around the execution, and the intention of this policy. A source close to the new administration disclosed that the policy is being reviewed.

Currently, there are reports of unscrupulous ISIS characters using the back door routes with ECOWAS passports from countries such as Guinea Bissau thronging through West Africa. Who can key into this Brown Card.

It would be recalled that towards the twilight of the previous administration, many policies and bills were signed which are expected to benefit Nigerians in the long run. However, this is one of those policies that is being revisited by the new administration to ensure that the interest of Nigeria, overrides the interest of a few.

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Chioma  Afe moves to Seplat Energy

Chioma Afe moves to Seplat Energy

Chioma Yvonne Afe resumes as Director External Affairs and Sustainability at leading Independent Energy business Seplat Energy. She is an accomplished strategic Senior Communications Executive and Business Leader. With a demonstrated record of success in developing and implementing high-impact communication strategies that drive business growth, enhance brand reputation and drive revenue growth. She is recognized as a self-motivated, passionate, dedicated, and proactive leader with a strong problem-solving mindset and an exceptional work ethic.

Throughout her career, she has specialized in unlocking the potential of brands and driving sustainable stakeholder engagement leveraging the power of communication in a compelling manner. Her expertise spans a diverse range of industries, including advertising, consulting, consumer goods, telecommunications, broadcast media and financial services where she has managed corporate and marketing communication campaigns for both established brands and large corporates.

In her most recent role as Group Head of Marketing and Communications at Access Bank, Chioma was a member of the executive team, as well as the Africa Leadership team responsible for corporate and retail communication teams in all Africa subsidiary markets. She is an influential and transformational leader known to galvanize high-performing cross-functional teams, which include external partners, towards a common objective.

Before joining Access Bank PLC, Chioma was the Head of Corporate Communications at Diamond Bank PLC. She has also worked in DSTV (MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd), Cadbury Mondeleez, Airtel, Coca-Cola Nigeria, British American Tobacco (BATN), Andersen and Tequila Nigeria Limited in various leadership and managerial capacities, both locally and across the African continent.

A lifelong learner, she has an MBA from the prestigious Imperial College Business School, London, a Diploma in Marketing from the Institute of Direct Marketing London and a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Port Harcourt. She is a Board Member of Women in Management, Business & Public Service (WIMBIZ) as well as a mentor in the WIMBOARD 2023 cohort, an EXCO member of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria and a member, National Institute of Marketing Nigeria.

She is married with four beautiful children.

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Khalifa Shiekh Isyaku Rabiu: 5 Years On

Khalifa Shiekh Isyaku Rabiu: 5 Years On

Today, as I reflect on the fifth anniversary of my father’s passing, Khalifa Sheikh Isyaku Rabiu (Khadimul Quran), I am filled with both sadness and gratitude. While it is difficult to believe that five years have already passed since he left us, I am grateful for the time that we had with him and the legacy that he left behind.

Khalifa was a man of great faith and determination. He was a devout Muslim who dedicated his life to serving Allah and spreading the teachings of Islam. He was also a successful businessman who built a global empire through hard work, perseverance, and a deep commitment to excellence.

But what I remember most about Khalifa is his kindness and generosity. He had a heart of gold and was always willing to help those in need, regardless of their race, religion, or social status. He believed in giving back to the community and made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and causes throughout his life.

Khalifa’s passing was a great loss not only to our family but also to the wider community. However, his legacy lives through his works and various programs we have established in his memory to continue his charitable work, and support various initiatives aimed at improving the lives of people in Nigeria and beyond.

On this fifth anniversary of his passing, I am reminded of Khalifa’s words, which continue to inspire me every day: “Success is not measured by wealth or power, but by the impact you make in the lives of others.” Khalifa’s impact on the world will continue to be felt for generations to come, and his memory will forever be cherished in our hearts.

I am also reminded of the verse in the Quran that says, “And say, ‘My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.’” (Quran 17:24).

May Allah grant him Jannah (Paradise) and may his soul continue to rest in peace.

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Sudan: Dangote Steps In, Partners FG, Air Peace On Re-settling Evacuated Nigerians

Dangote Says Over 30,000 Skilled Nigerians Work With Expatriates To Build Refinery Complex

The Board of Trustees of the Aliko Dangote Foundation has resolved to be fully involved in the evacuation and resettling of thousands of Nigerians that are stranded in Sudan.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), Zouera Youssoufou has been in contact with the Management of Air Peace and the Federal Government to indicate the Foundation’s readiness to support the stranded Nigerians.

She said: “The Foundation will collaborate with the Federal Government and Air Peace in ensuring  seamless transportation of the stranded Nigerians and more importantly provide logistics and succour to the evacuees, to make them settle more comfortably when they return to Nigeria.”

The Foundation MD further stated that ADF’s understands the challenges of the Federal Government and Air Peace involved in this mission and has contacted relevant Federal Government agencies, involved in humanitarian disaster relief intervention, “…indicating our interest in collaborating with them to ensure that all Nigerians stranded in Sudan are brought back home safely.”

It would be recalled that Aliko Dangote Foundation supported the Nigerian government with logistics support for the Nigerian volunteer health workers who supported the Ebola containment efforts in Liberia and Sierra Leone upon their return to the country in 2015. Also, during the recent Covid pandemic, ADF supported the return of Nigerians from India and Dubai during the outbreak of the pandemic with specially chartered flights and Covid testing and quarantining when they arrived back in Nigeria.  Since 2011, ADF has supported several thousand IDPs in Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, and Abuja with a total spending of over 25 billion naira in the provision of food, shelter, and health services. 

Meanwhile, a Joint press release from the Ministry of foreign affairs and the federal ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management, and social development revealed that the first batch of 13 buses conveying six hundred and thirty-seven (637) evacuees had arrived at the identified safe borders at Aswan, Egypt, and are undergoing necessary documentation and clearance before admission into the Egyptian territory for their eventual evacuation to Nigeria. 

Sudan has been experiencing intense clashes between the country’s military and the main paramilitary force. Hundreds of people have been killed, while thousands that are fleeing the bloody civil war are reported stranded on the Sudan-Egypt border because of visa requirements demanded by Egypt.

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Isidore Agritech Revolutionizes Agriculture In Nigeria With Jinja Apps Launch

Isidore Agritech Revolutionizes Agriculture In Nigeria With Jinja Apps Launch

Isidore Agritech Limited has announced the launch of Jinja Marketplace and Jinja Agent Apps, which are revolutionizing agriculture in Nigeria. By leveraging advanced technology, Jinja provides seamless platforms that connect buyers and sellers of agro commodities, extension services, and financing.

The Jinja Agent and Marketplace apps offer convenient and efficient solutions for the agriculture industry in Nigeria. With the Jinja Agent app, farmers and aggregators can effortlessly connect with the market by dialing *347*465# to sell their commodities, access extension services, purchase input seeds, and obtain insurance coverage.

Additionally, the Jinja Marketplace app provides agro-businesses with a user-friendly platform to compare and purchase high-quality agro commodities from multiple sellers in Nigeria. This app saves time and money for buyers by providing competitive prices, secure payment options, real-time notifications, and buyer/seller ratings to ensure a safe and seamless experience.

Isidore Agritech Revolutionizes Agriculture In Nigeria With Jinja Apps Launch

Speaking on the launch, Pamela Adie, Vice-President, Business Development, Isidore noted that Jinja is enabling access to a grid value chain more conveniently. She said, “Jinja is more than just a digital marketplace. One of our goals is to reduce wastage by making sure that farmers and aggregators have access to a wider pool of buyers in an instant, and that agro businesses can see, compare prices, and buy high-quality commodities in bulk without having to go to the farms or markets.”

“Beyond that, we want to improve the quality of life of our farmers and aggregators, so they can buy insurance, get access to financing, and earn a share of our profits on every single transaction! Jinja empowers farmers, aggregators, and businesses with the tools and support they require to grow their businesses faster”, she added.

Speaking on the Jinja platform, Valentine Eke, the product manager at Isidore, elaborated that Jinja features a user-friendly interface that allows farmers, aggregators, and businesses to easily navigate and meet their agric needs.

Jinja Marketplace App and Jinja Agent App are now available for download on the Google Play Store.

About Isidore: Isidore is a social enterprise that is using technology to transform the way agriculture is practiced in Nigeria. Isidore’s mission is to enable high-quality food production and security by building innovative solutions that empower farmers and agribusinesses to build a nation that can feed itself. For more information about Jinja, please visit www.thejinja.co or contact Isidore via email at [email protected]

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Dangote Sugar pays N18.22bn Dividends, to produce 170,000 Tonnes next season

Dangote Sugar pays N18.22bn Dividends, to produce 170,000 Tonnes next season

Despite the economic headwinds that characterised 2022, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (DSR) will pay N18.22 billion as dividends to shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2022, while also targeting the production of over 170,000 tonnes of sugar next season. The dividend payout will translate to N1.50 kobo per share held by shareholders.

Chairman of the Company, Aliko Dangote said: “The shareholders are very happy with the way we have been running their company and also in re-investing the profit into the Backward Integration Programme (BIP) for the sugar industry. We are going to play our part in ensuring that Nigeria becomes self-sufficient in sugar within a very short period. We are not the only players, but we will surely play our part. We should be able to produce over 170,000 tonnes which are by far, in the history of Nigeria, the highest to be produced locally.”

The company recorded an impressive turnover of N403 billion, a 46 per cent increase over N276 billion recorded during the same period in the year before, and posted a Profit before Tax (PBT) of N82 billion.

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Dangote attributed the company’s remarkable performance to the pragmatic approach the management deployed by focusing on continued cost and process optimisation, improved efficiencies in every area of operations, and service delivery to our customers.

He pledged that the management would continue to implement strategic actions to sustain the performance with the support of all stakeholders with complete adherence to the tenets of the Federal Government’s Sugar Master Plan.

Dangote said part of the success recorded by Dangote Sugar was made possible by the management’s continued implementation of the Dangote Sugar Development Master Plan with the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Dangote Sugar Refinery’s Numan operations, facilities and land development, as well as the development of the Nasarawa Sugar Company Limited, the greenfield sugar project, and Tunga in Nasarawa State.

He said: “Concerted efforts were made during the year to rise above the various challenges that came about due to the COVID–19 lockdown which affected project timelines considerably and continued to generally impact economic activities due to its spill-over effect, which also led to the lack of forex to finance most of the project deliverables.

“We however continued to surge ahead supported by the various stakeholders in the industry and government parastatals, with the resolve to ensure that the goals of the Nigeria Sugar Development Master Plan are achieved.”

The Company Chairman noted that during the year under review, the first phase of the Sugar Master Plan implementation period came to an end and that the Federal Government approved the second phase over the next 10 years. “This extension came on the back of the review of the first phase by the National Sugar Development Council and other government parastatals with cognisance of the challenges and several circumstances that were unforeseen which riddled the first phase of the programme,” he added.

Dangote stated that the board and management were, however, focused on the achievement of the goals of the strategic initiative, and thus considerable progress was recorded in the project development, despite the numerous challenges faced.

Not minding the obstacles ahead, Dangote promised that the management would continue to create sustainable value for all stakeholders through an inclusive approach to growth and development, with continuous engagement with all parties, to enable the company make a positive impact, support poverty eradication and food security, infrastructure development, empowerment for members of the immediate communities, and the society at large.

In her remarks, the Coordinator of the Pragmatic Shareholders Association, Mrs. Adebisi Bakare expressed the satisfaction of shareholders with the performance of the company, noting that despite all the encumbrances in the sugar sub-sector of the economy, the company still performed far and above the previous year.

She urged the board and the management to continue in the direction they have taken to get the company to the current winning, assuring that the management has the support of the shareholders to post even better performance in the coming years.

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FRSC Commends Dangote Industries for Adoption, Implementation of Road Safety Standards

FRSC Commends Dangote Industries for Adoption, Implementation of Road Safety Standards

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Dauda Biu has commended Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) for the adoption and implementation of safety standards in the Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS) in the company’s operations.

Mr. Biu, who stated this in Abuja when he hosted a team from the Dangote Cement Plc, Transport Division, said the significant reduction in crashes

was made possible through the collaboration with his agency and the implementation of some mutually agreed safety standards by the company. The Dangote team was led by the Divisional Director of Transport, Mr. Ajay Singh.

The commendation is an outcome of several strategies executed by the company to ensure Dangote truck drivers adhere strictly to safety standards as prescribed by the FRSC across the country.

The Road Safety boss said: “Notable among this is the reduction of road traffic crashes involving Dangote Transport Trucks through the implementation of minimum safety standards in the Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS).”

According to Biu, in order to effectively achieve this success, the FRSC collaborated with the Technical Committee comprising Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), and the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) on speed limiting device implementation in Nigeria.

He said the establishment of an Outpost at Dangote Cement Plant Obajana, has contributed tremendously to the reduction of road traffic crashes along the ever-busy Obajana – Kabba road in Kogi State.

Other areas of collaboration with the company, he said, include, the establishment of standard and functional driving school, collaboration in conducting professional Road Assessment (Road Safety Audit) for issues of safety concerns on the roads, as well as partnership on the Dangote Drivers’ Training Centre (Driving Range).

Speaking on various efforts by the company geared towards reduction of accidents involving Dangote Trucks, Dangote Cement Group Head, Transport, Health, Safety & Environment Nigeria & Pan Africa, Mrs. Ebere Okonkwo stated that the company adopted several strategies to ensure compliance with Nigeria road safety standards.

She listed the strategies to include: Improvement of drivers and journey managers’ competence in both HSE and job skills in order to achieve line ownership of safety and safe delivery.

According to Mrs. Okonkwo, “Plans were put in place to improve our maintenance management. Actions were developed to improve and embed an effective journey management system with focus on supervision. We introduced compliance monitoring and reporting such as performing check-ins on drivers while on trips, random alcohol and drugs tests etc.

“We increased the sphere of influence by showcasing visibly-felt safety leadership at the frontlines through engagements, campaigns, general empowerment to stop unsafe work, behaviours etc. Consequence management (reward and sanctions); reward for compliance and sanctions for non-compliance was also introduced and behaviours monitored based on criteria, to determine who gets rewarded as a result of safety performance and who gets sanctioned,” she added.

Okonkwo noted that the HSE team embarked on HSSE competence development trainings for all staff across categories to improve their competence on safety and their influence/supervision skills to the frontline workers (drivers).

She said internal behavioural-based safety trainings, safety stand-downs to cascade learnings from internal and industry incidents, safety campaigns covering different prevailing risk areas, pep talks by “HSE teams and transport trainers across locations, engagement of shop floor workers by various categories of management e.t.c. were carried out.

She added that, “The FRSC carries out recertification training exercise for our drivers, operations staff and trucks in Nigeria every six months. Across our Pan Africa locations, engagements, competence development trainings are deployed internally and externally based on risks using our experienced and well recognised internal resources and approved government resources. Where available, simulators are used for defensive driving trainings; for example in Cameroon, the training is facilitated by the Safe Way, Right Way Foundation e.t.c.”

Speaking earlier, Divisional Director Transport, Dangote Cement Plant, Obajana, Mr Ajay Singh said the collaboration between the Dangote Group and the FRSC was paying off. He, on behalf of the company, also congratulated the Corps Marshal for his elevation and appointment.

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Dangote Cement Remits N412.9bn to Govt in 3 years

Dangote Cement Remits N412.9bn to Govt in 3 years

Dangote Cement Plc, a subsidiary of Dangote Industries Limited, (DIL), paid a total of N412.9 billion into the coffers of the Federal Government as...
Dangote Beats MTN, Globacom, Others To Emerge Most Valuable Brand In Nigeria For 6th Consecutive Year

Dangote Beats MTN, Globacom, Others To Emerge Most Valuable Brand In Nigeria For 6th Consecutive Year

Dangote Industries Limited has emerged as Nigeria’s most valuable brand for the sixth consecutive year. This achievement was confirmed by the brand and marketing firm,...
Dangote Says Over 30,000 Skilled Nigerians Work With Expatriates To Build Refinery Complex

Dangote Says Over 30,000 Skilled Nigerians Work With Expatriates To Build Refinery Complex

Management of Dangote Refinery have debunked a report published on the online platforms of some media organisations that the company employed 11,000 skilled workers...
Chaos and Confusion Trail the introduction of Nigerian ‘Brown Card'

Chaos and Confusion Trail the introduction of Nigerian ‘Brown Card’

There is currently chaos and confusion over the hurried introduction of “Brown Card”, a new document for permanent residency for foreigners in Nigeria by...
Chioma Afe moves to Seplat Energy

Chioma  Afe moves to Seplat Energy

Chioma Yvonne Afe resumes as Director External Affairs and Sustainability at leading Independent Energy business Seplat Energy. She is an accomplished strategic Senior Communications...