Business
Dangote Cement Shareholders Up Dividend By 25% To N20 Per Share
Olushola Okunlade Writes
Shareholders of Dangote Cement Plc yesterday commended the Management of the company for an impressive performance despite the economic challenges in the year under review.
Unanimously, the shareholders approved N20 per share for the year ended December 31, 2021, as against the N16 paid in the preceding year. This represents a 25 per cent increase in dividend compared to the 2020 dividend of N16.00 per share, reinforcing the Company’s commitment to maximizing shareholder value.
The shareholders gave their approval at the 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos. They commended the management for the impressive performance recorded in the year under review. They also applauded the company for its efforts in reducing the unclaimed dividends of the company.
Dangote Cement in the year under review achieved its highest profit before tax in its history at N538.4 billion. Also, the Company recorded Group volumes of 29.3Mta, up 13.8 per cent. Exceptional EBITDA of N684.6 billion was achieved, up by 43.2 per cent owing to strong cost control measures.
Chairman of the company, Aliko Dangote, said that “Over the last decade, Dangote Cement has recorded exponential growth across all areas.”
According to him, Group volumes are now at almost 30Mta, our capacity has tripled to 51.6Mta and we export cement from five countries across Africa.
“As the volatile global environment propels us into a new era of uncertainties, we are fortunate that the last two years have taught us resilience, adaptability, and grit. These values are what we need to face unpredictable times in the future.
“Dangote Cement remains the leading cement company in Africa, well-positioned for a positive and sustainable future. We are resolute in transforming Africa while creating sustainable value for our stakeholders.”
Dangote said in January 2022, the Company completed the second tranche of its buy-back program as Dangote Cement has now repurchased 0.98 percent of its outstanding shares, saying this share buy-back program reflects the Company’s unwavering commitment to creating value and identifying opportunities to return cash to shareholders.
He also noted that “We began operations in our new 3Mta Okpella plant in Edo state in 2021, where we are successfully ramping up production and have contributed to creating a new industrial hub.
“We are actively deploying our alternative fuel strategy across all countries of operations, to optimise energy efficiency, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and ultimately reduce CO2 emission. Whilst we focused our efforts on meeting the robust demand of our local market in Nigeria, at the expense of our export markets, we still made significant progress in our cement and clinker exports.
“In 2021, we exported seven ships of clinker out of Nigeria and exported cement from five of our operations. Our vision is for West and Central Africa to be cement and clinker self-sufficient while making the regional and continental free trade agreements a reality.”
He added that along with the Company’s focus on strategy, it made progress on the effectiveness and diversity of its Board with the appointment of Ms. Halima Aliko-Dangote to the Board as a Non-Executive Director effective 26th February 2022, bringing female Board representation to 27 per cent, from 20 per cent in 2020 in addition to the six different nationalities and five independent non-executive directors on our Board.
He emphasised “We continue our sustainability and governance efforts with our 7 Sustainability Pillars – ‘The Dangote Way’. The 7 Pillars: cultural, economic, institutional, financial, environmental, operational and social, provide the appropriate framework in which we have embedded our corporate values and strategic objectives.”
He said “Our strategy in 2021 focused on energy transition, which is a crucial enabler of sustainable development and climate resilience on the continent. We have increased our focus on alternative fuels in our energy mix. We are actively investing in installing mechanical multi-fuel systems that can process diverse types of wastes.”
Outlook for Dangote Cement in 2022, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Cement, Michel Puchercos said “Our goal to be the partner of choice for those transforming Africa, while creating sustainable value for our stakeholders remains firm and clear.
“Despite operating in a challenging and fast-moving environment, Dangote Cement consistently delivers superior profitability to the shareholders. The robust demand experienced across the continent despite the COVID-19-related challenges, confirms the powerful potential of these markets.”
Rashidat Okunlade Writes
Mr Olaniyi Toluwalope, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, eTranzact International PLC, has bagged Business Day’s Top 25 CEOs award in recognition of his company’s stellar performance on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Speaking during the award ceremony last weekend in Lagos, the publisher, Business Day Media Ltd., Mr. Frank Aigbogun stated that the award is more than just a recognition ceremony, but a reward for excellence, innovation, and drive for positive change.
According to the publisher, the eTranzact boss and other awardees have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, resilience and relentless pursuit of a result of success and this remarkable achievement in growing market value within the period of review stands them out as industry leaders, serving as a beacon of inspiration, admiration and respect from their peers and stakeholders alike.
“This has made us gather to celebrate your achievements, passion, and your dedication to excellence. As we recognize the countless hours of hard work, sleepless nights, and sacrifices that go into building and leading a successful business, your resilience in the face of challenges is truly commendable and it is an honour to acknowledge and celebrate your triumphs,” he concluded.
Responding after the award, Mr Olaniyi Toluwalope said the award is a testament to what they have been doing in the financial technology sector within the past 20 years.
Left-Right: Mr. Frank Aigbogun, Publisher BusinessDay presenting Mr Olaniyi Toluwalope : MD/CEO, eTranzact Plc the award recognition of the company’s stellar performance on the Nigerian Stock Exchange during the Top 25 CEOs Award in Lagos.etra
Toluwalope said: “This award means a lot to us since we began the journey of transformation as an organisation a couple of years ago.”He believed the board, the management, and the entire team have worked very hard to reimagine strategy, focusing extensively on execution capability. “We have built more partnerships, deepened our collaboration with the government, private sector, with lots of our financial service partners. The quality of products and solutions we offer coupled with the investment we have made in technology infrastructure is the outcome of all we are seeing now in terms of our improvement and top performance.”
“As one of the top fintech companies in the country, having been around for over 20 years, doing great things and setting new standards and creating pioneer products and solutions, these are the things that have created the pillars which we stand on today, which is what is creating this visibility and identification we are seeing and benefiting from,” he said. It is worth noting that, eTranzact under the leadership of Mr. Toluwalope recorded the highest-ever profitability in the 20-year history of the company in its 2022 financial year.
The company is already on the upward trajectory to build on the gains of the performance by continually providing world-class solutions and products to its discerning clients which cuts across both public and private sectors.
…as BusinessDay honour Top 25 CEOs
Rashidat Okunlade Writes
Nnamdi Okonkwo, Group Managing Director of FBN Holdings Plc, has bagged outstanding CEO in the just concluded Top 25 CEOs Awards organized by BusinessDay that was held at the Ballroom of the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos last Saturday.
Left-Right: Adewale Arogundade, Acting Company Secretary, FBNHoldings, Tolu Oluwole, Head, Investor Relations, FBNHoldings, Nweke (Junior), former Director General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Oyewale Ariyibi, Executive Director, Finance FBNHoldings, Frank Aigbogun, Publisher, BusinessDay, and Wasiu Shafe, Financial Controller, FBNHoldings.
In this year’s edition of the BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs, the publication recognised 25 Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of various listed firms on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX) who experienced outstanding financial development and also made important contributions to their respective industries.
FBNHoldings team that graced the event are Adewale Arogundade, Acting Company Secretary, FBNHoldings, Tolu Oluwole, Head, Investor Relations, FBNHoldings, Nweke (Junior), former Director General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Oyewale Ariyibi, Executive Director, Finance FBNHoldings, Frank Aigbogun, Publisher, BusinessDay, and Wasiu Shafe, Financial Controller, FBNHoldings.
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