By Maduka Nweke
Lafarge Africa Plc, a leading solutions provider in the construction industry and a member of the Holcim Group, has again been recognised for its outstanding performance in gender inclusion and diversity within its ranks. The company has 45.5per cent of the seats available at the board table being occupied by women, a significant jump from 40 percent in 2020.
The 2021 edition of the PWR NGX Top 20 Gender diversity scorecard measures the level of female representation on the boards of the top 20 capitalised companies on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). PWR Advisory is a leadership, diversity and inclusion advisory and advocacy firm operating across Africa, that assists corporate organisations maximize the benefits of diversity and inclusion to increase performance and profitability by providing the platform for career women to develop leadership capacity and raise their visibility and representation in the marketplace.
Speaking on behalf of the board and management of Lafarge Africa Plc, Prince Adebode Adefioye, the Chairman, Board of Directors said: “Lafarge Africa’s commitment to female representation at the board and management rank and file level is unwavering. Our diversity and inclusion targets; which align with our sustainability strategy, set us apart and are a clear indication of our resolve to continue on this trajectory for more extraordinary outcomes. We remain resolutely committed.”
Noting the impact of the awards over the past year, Ivana I. Osagie, Founder PWR Advisory said, “The release of the inaugural edition last year galvanised huge momentum in corporate Nigeria, raising awareness of the business case for gender diversity in boardrooms. As a result, since then there has been a slight increase in the number of appointments of women to boards particularly as non-executive directors and as managing directors”
While some progress was recorded, she explained the need for more to be done to accelerate the rate of change and unlock untapped value that is economically beneficial to businesses and communities in Nigeria and across the African continent.
