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By Bimbola Oyesola
Henkel, operating under Expand Global Industries Limited (EGIL) in Nigeria, has assured workers that the sustainability of its business is hinged on safety and health at the workplace.
Human resources manager, EGIL, Aliyu Jibril, said the company’s commitment to safety, which has been a part of its corporate culture for decades, forms the base of its various success stories and engagement with its workers, who are passionate about growing the business successfully, responsibly and safely.
Jibril also posited that the company promotes the economic and social development of its communities as a local employer, purchaser and investor.
“In Nigeria, the company fosters the responsible economic activity of its employees, as well as customers through an extensive local distributor network, which provides thousands of jobs across the country with an estimated contribution of around 5,000 direct and indirect jobs in Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that the company, which generated direct employment for more than 1,000 people in the Ibadan plant, maintained a growing industrial eco-system comprising local manufacturers and suppliers that support daily operations such as raw material sourcing, packaging, transportation and trade marketing, among others, thus, contributing to the economy while satisfying the domestic demand for products.
Jibril stated that the company was committed to complying with the various Nigerian labour and workplace health and safety laws and providing a safe working environment for its employees, third-party workers and contractors.
According to him, the firm was determined to be a strong contributor to the Nigerian economy while supporting its driving forces and empowering talents, with the ultimate ambition of producing for Nigerians by Nigerians through training opportunities such as ITI schemes, as well as Henkel’s internship programme.
Henkel acquired EGIL in 2016 and since then it has continuously invested in the improvement of the production tools and the HSE standards in its Ibadan site, thus, contributing to satisfy the local demand for products that combine high performance, reliability, and quality.
“We manage, design and operate our facilities to maximize safety. Regular and comprehensive training courses are held multiple times a year at all sites to ensure employees perform their duties safely and responsibly,” he said.
Jibril stated that employees are provided with all the necessary personal protective equipment as they operate under close supervision.
The HR manager explained that the company, at its Ibadan plant, has established a fully-equipped medical clinic, manned by a qualified doctor and trained nurses, who are accessible to all staff on site, including third-party workers, with annual medical check-ups also provided.
Beyond its business disposition, he said the firm has a long-term commitment to social involvement as corporate citizenship that is an integral part of its culture and has undertaken some social causes for the benefit of the citizenry. Some of the most recent initiatives in Nigeria include the donation of educational items to the African Girls Empowerment School, Ibadan, Oyo State, an educational facility designed to support children with special needs.
EGIL, through Henkel’s Global Solidarity Programme, also supported local communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by donating to frontline workers in Lagos State to help mitigate the challenges of the pandemic and alleviate the risks associated with exposure to patients undergoing treatment.
