Dangote Industries, Cement, other business units prepare big for Sustainability Week

*Dangote Industries Limited and its subsidiaries are set for the Sustainability Week, designed to be a week-long event to create an opportunity for thr company and its subsidiaries’ employees to volunteer their skills and competencies for community impact initiatives

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) and its subsidiaries are preparing very big for the Sustainability Week, which begins from Monday, October 23 to Friday, October 27, 2023.

The DIL in a statement said the theme for this year’s event is “Sustainable Production and Consumption – The Dangote Way”.

The conglomerate stated that Sustainbaility Week had been designed to be a week-long event to create an opportunity for DIL and its subsidiaries’ employees to volunteer their skills and competencies for community impact initiatives, using time that is paid for by the organisation.

While the mother company, DIL, will have an online Sustainability Conference for all staff, where various representatives of the Business Units (BUs) will present innovative opportunities for Sustainable Production and Consumption in their line of business to a panel of executives who will evaluate the opportunities for adoption.

Other subsidiaries also have a series of events that have been lined up in line with the Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals designed to serve as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.

The week statrts Monday, October 23 with Volunteer mobilisation across the various business locations in Nigeria and Pan Africa, stated the DIL.

The statement also noted that Dangote Cement would host a Sustainable Living Fair and Exhibition on Tuesday, in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Notable stakeholders have been invited to attend the Fair, which will be declared open by Mr. Arvind Pathak, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive of Dangote Cement.

NASCON also on Tuesday will donate whiteboards to schools in its host community, while Dangote Fertilizer  Limited (DFL), will roof 6 classrooms in the Magbonsegun community as it supplies roofing sheets, asbestos, and timber.

The company said: “It will however, be done in collaboration with the school’s PTA, and community leaders. Health materials will also be donated by NASCON to Ijoko Health Care Centre and Ajegunle Health Care Centre.

In the same vein, Dangote Petroleum Refinery, from October 23rd to November 2nd, will organise an elderly care program for its host community.

The programme includes Health talks and medical screening for malaria, infectious diseases, dementia, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, vitamin deficiency, BMI, and eye problems.

Elders, who are 65 years and above are the target of this programme and close to 1,000 of such elders have been booked to attend the event.

GDNL also for the week has programmed an educational initiative, which will involve three schools in their host community, with a focus on educating the students on the essence of sustainability and climate change challenges, and donation of computers, markerboards and sanitary pads to schools in their community.

Dangote Packaging Limited (DPL) will be training the women and in its host community on how to make insecticides locally thereby helping to comeback malaria which is the number 1 ailment in the area. The trained women will also be empowered with startup kit.

It would be recalled that DIL, recently shone like a million stars as its subsidiaries clinched several awards at the just concluded Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Responsibility Awards (SERAs).

Dangote Cement Plc won four major awards, including: The Best Company in Sustainability Reporting, Best Company in Stakeholder Engagement, and Overall, Winner – Africa (First Runner Up).

Another Dangote subsidiary, Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR), which was participating in the SERAS for the first time, won the award of Best Company in Poverty Eradication.

Mr. Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief Corporate Communications Dangote Industries Limited, commenting on the company’s outstanding performance at this year’s SERAS said: “DIL’s approach is focused on mainstreaming sustainable practices and building this into the very fabric of the organisation.

“The Dangote Way’ underlines the importance that we attach to our people, communities, and other key stakeholders.”