Dangote Cement Plc, a leading player in the African cement industry, welcomed 81 new trainees to its Graduate Trainee program, reinforcing its commitment to job creation and talent development. The induction ceremony, held last weekend in Lagos, also saw the recognition of outstanding employees through ‘Long Service Award’ and ‘Hall of Fame Employee Award.’
Dangote Cement has been a key contributor to employment across Africa through its Graduate Trainee program, which has seen hundreds of trainees integrated into the company’s operations. The program aims to empower youth in technical competencies related to cement manufacturing, fostering a skilled workforce.
During the event, Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Cement, expressed appreciation for the dedication and resilience of the staff, emphasizing their role in the company’s success despite the challenges faced in the operating environment. He acknowledged the outstanding progress made in 2023, highlighting the company’s dominant position in the cement sector, not only in Nigeria but across the continent.
L -R, Group Managing Director, Dangote Industries Limited, Olakunle Alake, 20 years Meritorious and Dedication Service to Dangote Cement plc, Ngwu Ugochukwu Lucy, Chairman Dangote Cement plc, Aliko Dangote, Ukamaka Emmanuel, 20 years Meritorious and Dedication Service to Dangote Cement plc, at the Dangote Cement plc Long Service Awards in Lagos on Friday 8th December 2023,
Dangote stated,
“We are honouring some of our staff for their long service to the company. We are also celebrating our graduate trainees who are officially rounding up their induction programme.
“…we are celebrating them for the tremendous progress the company recorded in 2023 despite the harsh operating environment and economic turbulence, your resilience and tenacity ensured that we surmounted many obstacles to achieve goals.
“More importantly, I would like to thank all of you for your commitment and high performance. It is your commitment that has helped us to retain our position as the dominant player in the Cement sector in Nigeria, not only in Nigeria but in Africa.
“We have remained Africa’s leading cement producer with 52 million metric tonnes capacity per annum across the continent. We also have plans underway to commission our Cote d’Ivoire plants and work started for another six million tonnes in Itori, Ogun state.
“Through shared persistence, we have eliminated Nigerians’ independence on imported cement and transformed our nation into an exporter of cement to several neighbouring countries. This same development will be repeated in the energy sector as our petrochemical refinery becomes fully operational in the next few months.”
He also said the Group is focused on breaking new ground with innovations and strategies that will drive businesses while at the same time creating value for its stakeholders, saying that “we want to transform and develop Nigeria and African economies to be self-reliant and net exporter of manufactured goods.”
L–R, Group Managing Director, Dangote Industries Limited, Olakunle Alake, Obanewo Solomon Bamidele, Received 15 years Meritorious and Dedication Service to Dangote Cement plc, Group Executive Director, Commercial, Dangote Industries Limited, Fatima Aliko-Dangote; at the Dangote Cement plc, Long Service Awards in Lagos on Friday 8th December 2023.
The Chairman commended the staff for their commitment, which has contributed to Dangote Cement’s 52 million metric tonnes capacity per annum, maintaining its status as Africa’s leading cement producer. He expressed optimism about replicating this success in the energy sector with the full operationalization of the petrochemical refinery.
Aliko Dangote presented ‘Long Service Awards’ and ‘Hall of Fame Employee Awards’ to deserving staff who had served a minimum of five years, acknowledging their adherence to the company’s core values of customer care, entrepreneurship, excellence, and leadership quality.
Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement, Mr. Arvind Pathak, praised the dedication and loyalty of long-serving employees, recognizing their passion, innovation, and excellence in service delivery. He applauded the achievements of Hall of Fame awardees and acknowledged their significant contributions to the company’s success.
Pathak said that “the dedication and loyalty of our long-serving employees, the achievements of our talented graduate trainees and our Hall of Fame awardees, have displayed passion, innovation and excellence in service delivery.
To the awardees, he said, “Your dedication has been the cornerstone of our success, and is the testimony of your hard work, resilience, and loyalty. Your journey with us is a testament to the values that bind us, and we look forward to many more of shared success.
“You are part of our driving force behind our success and your dedication sets a standard for all of us to inspire.
He also congratulated the graduate trainees as they have completed a rigorous training programme that has equipped them with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the company.
He said;
“As you move forward in your career, remember that this is just a beginning, the road ahead may be challenging, but I have full confidence that each one of you will contribute significantly to the future success of the company. Continue to embrace your opportunity to learn, grow and make a positive impact on the Dangote Cement plants.
“As a learning organization, we also continue to provide numerous development opportunities to enhance the capabilities of our people, including professional certifications and mentorship schemes. our success is a collective effort and each one of us plays a vital role in our journey to remain the leader in the cement industry and build a sustainable future for Africa.”
The event also celebrated the 81 graduate trainees who completed the rigorous 18-month training program. Pathak encouraged them to view this as the beginning of their careers, assuring them that their journey may be challenging but expressing confidence in their potential to contribute significantly to the company’s future success.
Mr. Haruna Adinoyi, the Programme Manager for the Graduate Training of Dangote Cement, highlighted the program’s focus on empowering youth in technical competencies related to cement manufacturing. He emphasized the company’s commitment to managing the careers of the trainees and reducing the reliance on foreign expertise.
Adinoyi highlighted that “the Graduate Training Programme is for 18 months. We started in July 2022, intending to empower youth in the technical competencies fields in Nigeria especially. So, the trainees go through all the value chain in cement manufacturing.”
He added that “we will continue to help in managing their careers so that they remain with us and also build confidence as this will help in reducing the overlaps of foreign expertise.”
In response, one of the trainees, Felix Ithootumhe, expressed gratitude to the management of Dangote Group for the opportunity, describing the training as an exposure to diverse knowledge of the cement industry.
He said “The training has exposed us to different knowledge of the cement industry. Also, the training makes us align ourselves with the Company’s operations and business.”
Another trainee, Abduljabbar Mohammedusani, praised the challenging yet rewarding 18-month journey, foreseeing a future where Nigeria can rely on locally sourced skills without the need for expatriates.
“it is a wonderful 18 months journey, which was very challenging and rewarding at the same time. We have learnt a lot about how we can progress here at Dangote Cement plant,” Abduljabbar told newsmen.
