Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has named the Dangote Cement Plc as the best Contributing Employer for the year 2022 in Kogi State.

In a letter seen by KANO FOCUS, the Fund said the award is in recognition of the company’s promotion of “human resource development with a view to generating a pool of indigenous training manpower sufficient to meet the need of the economy of Kogi State and the nation in general.”

Similarly, in their subsequent visit to the Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana Manager ITF Area Office Lokoja, Mr. Sokoto A. Simon said the award was also in recognition of the commitment of the company to the meeting the training needs of staff.

The ITF Area Manager thanked the organisation for supporting local manpower employment and community development through its various interventions – corporate, social and otherwise; and also praised the significant upsurge on training programs, and competent collaboration with ITF on statutory issues under the leadership of the Company’s new training and talent lead, Mr. Promise Igodo.

The ITF plaque seen by this reporter reads: “Industrial Training Fund presented to Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana plant in recognition and appreciation of your organization as the best in training contribution for 2022 within the Lokoja Area office jurisdiction.”

Members of the ITF team include: Area Manager Mr. Sokoto A. Simon; Head, Admin & HRD; Mr. Wale Suleiman, Head of Training Mr. Babatunde J. Olugbenga; among others.

Speaking during the visit, Plant Director, DCP Obajana, JV Gungune, said the company was satisfied with the collaboration with ITF in meeting the training needs of staff.

Mr. Gungune, who was represented by the Head of Production Department, Engr. John Gwong said the President and Chief Executive of the company Alhaji Aliko Dangote is passionate about job creation, staff training and the development of the Nigerian economy.

Engr. Gwong highlighted the importance of government support in capacity building through the creation of agencies as the ITF and how synergy through public private partnership ventures between organisations like Dangote Cement and ITF could greatly impart on solving socio-economic issues faced by the country.

He noted that the organisation in addition to serving the expectations of her investors and owners, is also supporting developmental needs of the people of Kogi state through its state-of-the-art technology driven operations and cement delivery value chain, while employing thousands of locales across the region.

Present on the part of the Dangote team, were: Head, Security – Major General Atolage Anthony(rtd), Admin Manager, Mr. Jumare Yusuf; Section Head, Talent Management and Learning & Development Promise Igodo; Snr Officer, Special Duties, Idoko Abubakar; Performance Management Officer, Heartrest Chinwe; and Training Officer, Odunola Olarewaju.

Only recently the company was honoured as Nigeria’s biggest employer by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Lagos, as well as Brand of the Year Award, from the Marketing Edge. These were among several other awards in its kitty.

Dangote Group is the biggest employer of labour after government.