For the second consecutive year, Africa’s foremost entrepreneur and humanist, Aliko Dangote, was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award and accorded special recognition by the Organised Private Sector employers in the country under the aegis of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA).
In a night of honour and reward for deserving member organisations, Dangote Group, the pan-African conglomerate emerged tops, carting away the award in the ‘Resilience and Sustainable Growth’ category, while its subsidiary, Dangote Cement Plc, was named the “Best Company in the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Sector” during the 2022 Employers Annual Excellence Award held at the Eko Hotel in Lagos.
The Dangote Group also got a special plaque as one of the sponsors of the 3rd edition of the NECA 2022 Annual Employers’ Excellence Award. The Dangote Group had won an award as the best company in the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products sector in the 2021 edition.
Former Chairman of Nestle Nigeria Plc, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, was the second personality given special recognition and honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the well-attended event.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was received on the Dangote Group President’s behalf by a top management team led by the Group Executive Director, Strategy, Portfolio Development & Capital Projects, Mr. Devakumar Edwin; the Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Nglan Niat, and Director, Human Assets Management, Dangote Projects, Mr. Fola Ali. The other awards were also received by Mr. Edwin and Mrs. Adeola Oyetan, Head, Talent Management of Dangote Cement Plc.
Speaking while presenting Aliko Dangote’s Lifetime Achievement Award to the Dangote team at the high-brow event, former President of NECA and industrialist, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, said the citation of the business tycoon which was read out to the warm applause of the participants “was only to fulfil all righteousness, as the name of Dangote looms larger than life for his exemplary works”.
“I am proud that a lot of employers are here tonight. This is a great opportunity to catch up and build new networks. We need a lot of investments that would create more jobs and reduce poverty,” he said.
Ohuabunwa, who also presented the Award for “Resilience and Sustainable Production”, said, “If you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly. But if you sow bountifully, you will reap bountifully. The last award (Lifetime Achievement) was to Aliko Dangote, but this one (Resilience & Sustainable Production Award) is to the Dangote Group that has shown resilience and sustainable growth for others to emulate. They are setting the trend in sustainable growth.”
In his remarks after receiving the awards, Mr. Edwin described NECA as an organisation that promotes leadership, good governance, innovation, productivity and corporate performance, and “therefore, Mr. Dangote cherishes the award coming from a quarter like NECA”.
“NECA continues to remain a partner in progress, rewarding deserving companies for their contribution to national development. The Dangote Group will continue to contribute its quota to nation building and promote responsible business all sectors we operate,” he said.
Also speaking, NECA President, Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi, explained that this year’s edition of the NECA Annual Employers’ Excellence Award, the third in the series, was to reward organisations that have forged on despite the challenges in Nigeria’s business environment and the economy, which was reflected in the event theme “Against All Odds”.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, who was represented by Mr. M. Yusuf, an official of the Labour Ministry, congratulated the employers’ body and its leadership for organising the event to recognise those that have displayed resilience despite the challenges facing the private sector.
Other winners in various categories include Nigeria Bottling Company in the Food & Beverages Non-Alcoholic Sector; MTN in the Telecommunications and Allied Services category; TGI Group in the Agro & Agro Allied Services category; Nestle in the Food and Beverages and Workplace Innovation and People-centric Creativity categories; Julius Berger in the Construction and Construction Services sector; and NLNG in the Petroleum and Natural Gas sector.
