Dangote Cement Plc has inducted nearly 200 newly trained engineers and professionals into its workforce following the completion of its 18-month Graduate Trainee Programme, underscoring its commitment to job creation, skills development, and local capacity building.
The trainees, drawn from engineering, finance, IT and other disciplines, completed a structured programme combining classroom learning, cross-functional exposure, executive mentorship, and hands-on project execution. Training took place at the Dangote Academy, the company’s four plant locations in Nigeria, and its head office.
According to the company, several of the graduates have already been deployed across its cement operations in Nigeria and other African countries, where they are contributing to operations and technical delivery.
Speaking at the induction ceremony in Lagos, Arvind Pathak, Dangote Cement’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, commended employees for their resilience amid economic headwinds, noting that the company recorded a strong performance in 2025 despite a challenging operating environment.
“Your resilience and tenacity enabled us to overcome numerous challenges and retain our position as the leading cement producer in Nigeria and across Africa,” Pathak said.
He added that Dangote Cement is targeting a production capacity of 90 million metric tonnes per annum by 2030, a goal that supports Nigeria’s position as a net exporter of cement to neighbouring countries.
The event also featured Long Service Awards and Hall of Fame Employee Awards, recognising staff members who have demonstrated outstanding performance and embodied the company’s core values. Award recipients, each with at least five years of service, received monetary rewards.
Also speaking, Ahmed Ladan Gobir, the Acting Group Human Resources Officer, described the Graduate Trainee Programme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s human capital.
“Nigeria’s greatest asset is its young people. At Dangote Cement, we are deliberate about equipping them with world-class skills and industry exposure to build meaningful careers and drive national development,” he said.
Four graduate trainees were specially recognised for exceptional performance. According to Iyal H. Abdulkareem, the Programme Coordinator, the awardees distinguished themselves through key technical contributions, including plant optimisation, equipment alignment, performance tracking, and systems deployment at the Obajana and Okpella plants.
The engineers, Mary Nnana, Ahmad Sunusi Abdullahi, Ahmed Rufai Ahmed, and Ebenezer Afonja, also supported the installation and commissioning of MIS servers and cement mill optimisation systems, demonstrating strong industrial competence throughout the programme.
