In a blitz of honour, the Pan-Africa Conglomerate, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), and its subsidiaries Dangote Cement Plc and Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals stole the show at the weekend in Lagos when they carted away excellence awards bestowed by the private sector employers’ body, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) during its 2024 annual night of recognitions.

Dangote Group was recognised under the Visible Impact Award for Resilience & Entrepreneurship; Dangote Cement won the Sectoral Excellence Award in the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products category, while the 650,000bpd capacity world’s largest single train refinery, Dangote Refinery won the Groundbreaking Investment award.

Basking in the euphoria of the recognition, Dangote Industries Limited’s Vice-President of Oil and Gas Devakumar Edwin, who was on the ground to receive the awards, described them as reflecting the values of Dangote Group and its subsidiaries as top employers of labour showing resilience in the face of tough business operating environment.

He said the award would only spur the management of Dangote to continue in the trajectory of the fine best global best practices in business with more investments in rejuvenating the nation’s economy.  

In the same vein, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments Jumoke Oduwole and her counterpart in Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo (SAN) were recipients of the “Visible Impact in Public Service Award.”

This year’s awards, dubbed “Defying the odds”, NECA said, are geared towards promoting and encouraging best practices in Corporate Performance, People Management and Industrial Relations practices amongst employers in Nigeria.

This, it explained, is in a bid to celebrate outstanding contributions of enterprise to national development, noting that the award provided a platform for celebrating the resilience, doggedness and outstanding performance of employers in Nigeria.

In his welcome address, President of NECA, Dr. Ifeanyi Eric Okoye, noted that the award ceremony was to celebrate the excellence, resilience, innovation and unwavering commitment demonstrated by businesses across the various sectors of the Nigerian economy in 2024.

He said the Awards’ theme, “Defying the Odds,” reflected the indomitable spirit of the Nigerian enterprises that had consistently risen to the challenges posed by the dynamic and demanding local and global economic landscape.

Said he, “This annual ceremony is a testament to the remarkable progress made by organisations that share our vision of a thriving private sector as the bedrock of national development. Over the years, the NECA’s Excellence Award has become a hallmark of prestige, highlighting organisations that exemplify best practices in corporate governance, industrial relations and environmental sustainability.

“Our honours tonight not only serve as a beacon of hope and a reminder that in the face of adversities, excellence is achievable, but also an opportunity to increase visibility by highlighting their achievements and innovations to a wider audience.

“As we celebrate tonight, let us not only celebrate the achievements of the award recipients; let also celebrate all businesses here present and those that have left in the past few years and recommit ourselves to fostering innovation, inclusivity and resilience in all that we do. Together we can build a future where Nigerian enterprises thrive as global leaders.”

Also speaking, the Director General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, explained that the awards were a statement that, irrespective of the challenges the private sector employers have been facing, “since January till now, there is time for all of us to sit down and just breathe and celebrate the resilience, doggedness, innovations your businesses were able to bring on-board and their contributions to national development”. 

Oyerinde stated further: “So, we are gathered this evening to celebrate your businesses, contribution and support to NECA. We have broken away from the traditional issues of labour and employment that you know us with and are now dealing with all fundamental issues that affect your businesses either now or in the future like Environmental, Social and Governance in sustainability issues.

“We are also deepening our collaboration with CIPE, moving into the realms of ethics with an emphasis on doing business correctly. We are also deepening our engagements with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in the context of responsible business conduct so that our members can operate responsibly within the context of the law.

“This strengthens our hands to advocate against unfavourable business regulations that see businesses as cash cows rather than agents of national development.”

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Head of Service, Lagos State, Shuaheeb Agoro, commended NECA for its remarkable legacy of championing enterprise, competitiveness, responsible business practices and industrial harmony, describing the award as another remarkable way of motivating employers in the private sector.

Sanwo-Olu said, “This year’s theme could not be more apt as it speaks to the determination that Nigerian employers have continued to demonstrate in overcoming challenges to sustain businesses, create jobs and drive national development. This resilience is a reflection of enduring entrepreneurial spirit that defines our great nation.”

The governor pointed out that the award inspires the culture of   best practices in corporate governance, industrial relations, environmental sustainability and responsible business conduct.”