Lafarge Africa received the award for leadership in sustainability reporting for exemplifying sustainability.
Lafarge Africa Plc, one of the top innovators in sustainable building solutions, has won four awards for its contributions to sustainability and environmental performance as well as its dedication to gender inclusion and workplace diversity. At the 2022 NGX Made of Africa Awards, the company was given the Sustainability Reporting Award.
The NGX Made of Africa Awards are intended to honour organisations and people working in the capital market system who have excelled in providing value and making a lasting impact while also serving as major forces in the development of the Nigerian and African capital markets.
Lafarge Africa received the award for leadership in sustainability reporting for exemplifying sustainability. The building solutions company received a reward for upholding high ethical standards, adhering to “The Exchange’s” (NGX) rules and regulations, and other pertinent laws and regulations.
Lafarge Africa also won the Environmental Sustainability Conference, Expo and Awards (ECOSEA) 2022’s Eco-friendly Cement Manufacturing Company of the Year Award.
Titilope Oguntuga, the company’s head of sustainability and corporate branding, won the ECOSEA 2022 award for “Environmental Sustainability Professional of the Year” (Extractive Industry).
This honour of sustainability reporting is given to individuals and groups for their enormous efforts and contributions to the nation’s environmental sustainability.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, which include goals number seven—affordable and clean energy; eleven—sustainable cities and communities; twelve—responsible consumption and production; thirteen—climate action; fourteen—life below water; and fifteen—life on land, among others, are in line with the award, according to the organisers.
The company was also recognised at the Women in Marketing Communications Award (WIMCA) 2022 as the “Most Outstanding Company in Gender Inclusion” (Extractive Industry).
The honour is given to companies that foster an environment that makes it easier for talented, educated women to join corporate boardrooms and make notable contributions.
Lafarge Africa received the honour for leading the charge in fostering inclusivity in the workplace. The Organization and Human Resources Director, Gbemiga Owolabi, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to gender inclusion and diversity in the workplace, saying: “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.”
“We were recognized for our efforts to increase gender inclusion and diversity in our ranks and improve gender balance in operational roles. We increased the percentage of women on our board to 47% in 2022 from 45.5 in 2021 and 40% in 2020, and worked with our communities to promote a more welcoming atmosphere.”
Titilope Oguntuga, Lafarge Africa Plc’s Head of Sustainability & Corporate Brand, commented on the awards “We are honoured to have received these accolades. These honours serve as a testament to our dedication to creating a more sustainable Nigeria and as a confirmation that our business and sustainability goals continue to be centred on advancing humankind and the environment.”
“We remain at the forefront of offering green building solutions, as shown by our performance in 2022, and we’ll take advantage of the opportunities ahead to spur innovation and develop solutions that will hasten the transition to a greener and more inclusive world,” according to Oguntuga.
“Our strategy is deliberate and triple bottom line-oriented. We have adopted a horizontal strategy that promotes sustainable development as the thread that never changes through our four sustainability pillars: climate and energy, circular economy, nature, and people.
She emphasised that “our continued success can be attributed to our core strategy, the board’s dedication to environmental, social, and governance (ESG), and the committed corporate leadership team led by Khaled El Dokani, our country CEO, who creates an environment that is conducive to this flourishing.”
She added the following: “Being a part of Holcim, the world leader in cutting-edge and environmentally friendly building solutions, gives us a global perspective and outlook on how to achieve our sustainability goals. We have the resources, knowledge, and expertise from around the world to keep pursuing our goals.”