Lafarge Africa Plc, a leading innovative and sustainable building solutions company and manufacturer of a range of cement brands, has graduated 30 female truck drivers through its Women on Wheels (WOW) initiative.
The new sets of graduates from the Lafarge Driving Institute were unveiled at an elaborate graduation ceremony in Calabar, Cross River State, recently.
In his remarks at the ceremony, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Africa Plc, Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, praised WoW as a gamechanging initiative in a male-dominated profession. The initiative has produced 103 female truck drivers since inception in 2019.
According to him, “Lafarge Africa is committed to empowering women and ensuring stakeholder safety. Our initiative to train female truck drivers is a game-changer in Nigeria’s male-dominated transportation industry.”
He stated further: “We are adding 30 more women to our growing list. In 2021, 56 women graduated from our Mfamosing operations, and recently, 17 did from our Ewekoro operations. This addresses driver shortages, enhances transportation, sets industry benchmarks, promotes sustainability, and increases gender diversity in logistics.”
Speaking at the ceremony, the Logistics Director, Lafarge Africa Plc, Osazemen Aghatise, stated that the excellent performance of previous WoW graduates has spurred the company to invest more in the training programme.
“The success of our female truck drivers has encouraged us to expand the programme, enhancing safety, efficiency, and gender equality in our logistics,” he said.
In her charge to the graduating students, Hon Edema Irom, Commissioner for Women Affairs, Cross River State, charged the ladies to continue to extend the frontiers of excellence in which they have displayed to attain this new height.
According to her, Cross River State is always advocating for the enhancement of the lives of the girl child, and you must be our great ambassadors of the state and the nation at large.
The best graduating student of the set, Nzom Gertrude, appreciated Lafarge Africa for making the dream a reality. Reflecting on the journey, she said, “Many people assumed that we couldn’t achieve this feat. However, with the encouragement of the instructors and our families, we have done it.”
Addressing the graduates, representative of Integrated Automotive Services Limited (IASL), Kemi Shobayo, advised them to drive with confidence, lead with integrity and never forget hat they are role models to young girls who dare to dream big.
Women on Wheels initiative is an inclusive programme designed to empower women by providing them with the skills and knowledge to become professional truck drivers. The programme focuses on providing road safety guidelines, technical skills, and defensive driving techniques necessary for success in the male-dominated logistics industry.
The celebration was graced by Lafarge Driving Institute partners, industry regulators, government officials, and community stakeholders, including the Cross River State Commissioner for Transportation, Hon. Ekpeyong Cobham; Cross River State Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Hon. Effiom Ekaha; and Chairman, Akampa Local Government, Hon. Felix Okposi, among others.