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BY ABU-SATAR HAMED
ILARO-YEWA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA – The management of Dangote Cement Plc has said that it is irrevocably committed to the training and retraining of its drivers to ensure safe and smooth driving across the length and breadth of Nigeria.
Speaking during the 2025 Annual Driver’s Retreat themed “Drive Safely, Arrive Safely,” the Dangote Cement Group Managing Director, Arvind Pathak, emphasized that as a leading cement manufacturer with thousands of trucks in its fleet, road safety remains the company’s core mandate.
The training exercise for drivers at the Ibese Plant took place in the Ilaro area of Ogun State, with over 200 drivers in attendance.
The Dangote Cement boss reaffirmed the Company’s commitment to road safety, transparency, appropriate ethical conduct, and provision of detailed clarity on the comprehensive systems and procedures to militate against any incident along roads across the country.
Mr Pathak said Dangote was a responsible organisation that consistently cooperate with the Nigeria Police and other relevant authorities in the investigation of reported incidents with support of all lawful processes, aimed at establishing the facts and routinely implement recommendations that strengthen public safety.
He explained that that every driver employed by Dangote Cement is required to undergo an extensive and rigorously structured recruitment process that includes: Valid Driver’s license class G, background verification of both the driver and their guarantors, comprehensive medical evaluation, including vision screening (eye test), blood pressure checks, BMI -body mass index, RBS – random blood sugar test as well as drug and alcohol testing.
“Other recruitment screening covers usage within a three-month detection window, ensuring identifying any history of substance use before employment, Completion of a two-week intensive training programme, which consists of twelve safety modules, practical driving assessments, and written examinations”, he stated.
According to him, “in the past two months alone, over 500 prospective drivers have successfully completed this process, but only those who meet all required standards were engaged and certified to operate any Dangote Group vehicles.
“Our commitment to safety extends beyond recruitment. All drivers undergo mandatory pre-trip medical assessments, conducted by licensed nurses and doctors.
“These include regular checks on blood pressure, vision, and overall fitness, ensuring drivers are physically and mentally fit to operate safely.To enforce compliance with our zero-tolerance policy on substance use, random drug tests are conducted routinely across our operations.”.
Mr Pathak stated that Dangote Cement would continue to collaborate with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other regulatory agencies to ensure that all training, compliance, and operational processes are not only standardised but also continuously improved, adding that these authorities are also actively involved in monitoring and evaluation of their safety practices.
He maintained that Dangote Cement remains fully committed to strengthening driver onboarding and training, enforcing strict safety and behavioural standards, applying punitive measures to curb errant driving, collaborating with government agencies, regulators, and communities to improve road safety, ensuring transparency, accountability, and compassion in everything they do.
Also addressing the Drivers, Group Chief, Health Safety Social and Environment Officer, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Mr. James Adenuga stressed the importance of safety protocols and that the training process was not to train the drivers on the consequences but to continuously reminding them of essentials of safety guides.
Adenuga further stated that the regular training was to educate them in the language they understand and teach them how the training matters to them.
He gave an insights on the measures put in place to ensure the right individuals are recruited as drivers saying some of the qualifications for recruiting the drivers included; minimum of secondary school certificate, speak English language with writing and reading skills, free of substance abuse, 2-5 years driving experience, possession of Class-G drivers’ license, guarantors and rigorous training among other measures.
“We also partner Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to train and prepare them for professional driving so as to equip and give them the basics and fundamentals to prevent them for reckless driving. We equally have a process to give recognition and award to those that profess conduct and good behaved drivers among their peers”
Taking the drivers through some requirement for safe driving a Road Safety Expert, Mr. Oje Ebhota explained that the choice of the topic for his paper centered on safety driving habits for accident free journey.
Mr Ebhota listed as against the tenet of safe driving acts sun as Aggressiveness, impatient driving, Use of phone while driving, Taking alcoholic drink and disobedience to traffick signs.
He advised the drivers to be conscious of dangerous overtaking and drive within the driving limit of 60km per hour so that they don’t veer off the road and cause accident that could affect negatively other road users.
According to him, let me tell you all, the drivers are the ambassadors of Dangote Group, aside being ambassadors, you are also stakeholders that should be careful and consider other road users as important while on the road.
