BASF repositions, set to expand construction chemicals business frontiers

As part of efforts to expand the frontiers of the construction chemicals business in Nigeria in particular and West Africa in general, BASF West Africa’s construction chemicals business has appointed a new Country Manager, Vania Mitakeva.

Mitakeva, the company’s first female country manager, is bringing with her over a decade of experience in the construction chemicals industry in Nigeria and will be overseeing the company’s construction chemicals business for the West African cluster.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company that creates chemistry and has been doing so in Africa for over 90 years. For corporate and administrative purposes, it has divided Africa into four country clusters, with headquarters in Midrand, South Africa for Southern Africa; Nairobi, Kenya for East Africa; Lagos, Nigeria for West Africa and Morroco for North-West Africa. BASF employs around 1600 people in Africa and, since 2016,  its African headquarters has been based in Nairobi, Kenya.

But the company, according to Jean-Marc Ricca, BASF‘s Country Cluster Head for West Africa, who spoke in an interview with BusinessDay, they have found Nigeria a compelling story after two years in the country. “Our challenge now is the ability to convince our organization that there is a compelling story in Nigeria. We want them to just come to Nigeria, not Kenya, not Morocco or anywhere else. We want to propagate that story which defines the future”, he said.

As part of her role, Mitakeva will be focusing primarily on expanding the frontiers of the Construction Chemicals Business specifically, and that of BASF West Africa in general. “I am particularly excited about joining the vibrant and connected team at BASF West Africa at this time, and I look forward to contributing to, and being part of BASF West Africa at this phase of its impressive growth”, Mitakeva said. She will be based at BASF‘s Construction Chemicals plant in Lagos, Nigeria.

Ricca noted that “as BASF continues its strong commitment of investing and growing in and with Nigeria, we are delighted to have Vania join us with her wealth of experience which will be of great value to the company;  this comes at an exciting time in our business when we are consolidating our processes and deepening our imprints across all industries in Nigeria.“

Having settled in Nigeria, Ricca said there is no looking back but forward. “We don’t look back. Sincerely, we  look forward. Everything that will make you look back will keep you complaining how difficult it is. You should keep your mindset that, yes, it is difficult but we have to keep going. We don’t want to lose sight of why we are here”, he said.

Continuing, he said, “we have no time to look back because Nigeria has no time to look back as well. We remain committed. We have to continue to create value for customers and, in doing so, we will also be creating jobs”.

Ricca noted that there is need to find the right way to define infrastructure, advising that, as a country, Nigeria has to act together in developing the infrastructure. “There should be commitment from the private sector and good policy from the government”, he said.

CHUKA UROKO