Lafarge highlights 2020 sustainability ambitions

As a forward-looking multinational organisation desirous of continuing investment and expansion in the country, Lafarge WAPCO, soon to become Lafarge Africa, has outlined some of the targets it sets to achieve by the year 2020.

Temitope Oguntokun, corporate brand and sustainability manager, Lafarge WAPCO, highlighted some of these visions during the recent tour of the company’s Ewekoro I and II plants in Ogun State.

Some of these include clear-cut plan to create more jobs for Nigerians in various plants of the firm; ensuring that 35 percent of senior management positions are held by women; contributing 1 million volunteer hours per year to locally selected projects as well as ensuring that at least 2 million Nigerians have access to affordable and sustainable housing.

Real Sector Watch’s checks have shown that most multinational or large corporate organisations use either gas or low-pour fuel oil (LPFO), though they mostly prefer the former owing to its price- friendliness.

But Lafarge is planning to use 50 percent of non-fossil fuels, including 30 percent of biomass in their plants, Oguntokun said.

Technically speaking, non-fossil fuels are sources of energy not derived from the combustion of fossil fuels. They include renewable energy resources such as wind or hydroelectric (water) power. On the other hand, biomass is organic matter used as fuel.

Similarly, the second largest cement maker in the country has outlined some factors consumers need to consider when buying cement.

Some of these factors include quality, consistent performance and technical backup service.

Others are packaging, which means bags of suitable quality to minimise handling issues; quantity: buyers receive the quantity of cement stated on the bag, as well as strength.