Lafarge Africa Wins Four Sustainability Awards

Lafarge Africa Wins Four Sustainability Awards

ALIMOTU SHADIAT

The year 2022 was indeed a remarkable one for the leading innovative and sustainable building solutions company, Lafarge Africa Plc, as it bagged four different awards for its contributions and achievements in sustainability and environmental performance as well as its commitment towards gender inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
    
 
The building solutions company received the Award for Sustainability Reporting at the 2022 NGX Made of Africa Awards. The NGX Made of Africa Awards is designed to recognize companies and individuals within the capital market system that demonstrate exceptional performance in value delivery and sustainable impact and act as key drivers in strengthening the Nigerian and African capital markets.  
 
The award for leadership in sustainability reporting was presented to Lafarge Africa for demonstrating leadership in sustainability. The building solutions company was rewarded for its adherence to high ethical standards, compliance with the rules and regulations of ‘The Exchange’ (NGX), and other applicable laws and regulations. 
 
Lafarge Africa also bagged the Eco-friendly Cement Manufacturing Company of the Year Award at the Environmental Sustainability Conference, Expo, and Awards (ECOSEA) 2022. Additionally, the company’s Head, Sustainability & Corporate Branding, Titilope Oguntuga emerged as ‘Environmental Sustainability Professional of the Year’ (Extractive Industry) at ECOSEA 2022.
 
This recognition is given to professionals and organisations for their giant strides and contributions to environmental sustainability in the country. According to the organisers, the award is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations which include: goals number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy; 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities; 12-Responsible Consumption and Production; 13-Climate Action; 14-Life Below Water; 15-Life on Land, among others.
 
Lafarge Africa was also honoured with the ‘Most Outstanding Company in Gender Inclusion’ (Extractive Industry) at the Women in Marketing Communications Award (WIMCA) 2022. The award is in recognition of organisations that create a healthy working environment that breaks down barriers for talented, qualified women to join corporate boardrooms and make demonstrable differences. Lafarge Africa was presented the award for being at the forefront of promoting inclusiveness in the workplace. 
 
In reaffirming the company’s commitment towards gender inclusion and diversity in the workplace, the Organization and Human Resources Director, Gbemiga Owolabi said: “At Lafarge, we put people at the heart of everything we do, from promoting diversity in our teams to thriving with our communities, and this was evident in our results. 
 
“It is extremely rewarding to be recognized for this by a leading industry body for our outstanding performance in promoting gender inclusion and diversity within our ranks, in addition to improving gender balance in operational roles. We achieved a 47% female representation on our board in 2022 which is a significant increase from 45.5% in 2021 and 40% in 2020. We also collaborated closely with our communities to foster a more inclusive environment, guided by our Corporate Social Responsibility thematic areas of Education, Economic Empowerment, Health & Safety, and Shelter & Infrastructure.” 
 
Commenting on the awards, the Head of Sustainability & Corporate Brand, Lafarge Africa Plc, Titilope Oguntuga, said: “We are delighted to have won these awards. These recognitions are a testament to our commitment towards building a more sustainable Nigeria and an acknowledgment that building progress for people and the planet remains at the forefront of our business and sustainability agenda.”
 
“As evidenced by our performance in 2022, we continue to be at the forefront of providing green building solutions and will seize the opportunities ahead to drive innovation and create solutions that will accelerate our journey to a greener and more inclusive world,” Oguntuga said.  
 
“Our approach is deliberate and focused on the triple bottom line. Through our four sustainability pillars – Climate and Energy, Circular Economy, Nature, and People, we have adopted a horizontal approach that promotes sustainable development as the golden thread that remains constant. 
 
“Our continued success can be attributed to our core strategy, the commitment of our board to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), and the dedicated corporate leadership team led by Khaled El Dokani, our Country CEO in providing an enabling environment for this to thrive,” she stressed. 
 
She further explained: “Being a member of Holcim, the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions brings a global mindset and approach to the way we deliver our sustainability targets. We have global expertise, knowledge, research-driven data, and resources to continue to fuel our ambitions.”