President of the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Taiwo Adeniyi has ranked Nigerian companies among the most dogged in the world.
Adeniyi, who made the submission at the 2020 NECA Employers’ Excellence Award held recently at the Eko Hotels & Suites, based his assertion on the tough environment and the myriad of challenges confronting businesses in Nigeria, which many have braved to stay afloat.
The annual award saw some big names like Dangote Fertiliser, Nestle Nigeria Plc, and ABC Transport and 25 other companies receiving awards in different sectors of the Nigerian economy for their resilience.
Criteria for the awards centred on productivity and corporate performance; effective human resource management and industrial relations; innovation, technology optimisation; occupational health and safety; inclusiveness and diversity, responsible business conduct/corporate social responsibility, leadership and governance, among others.
Read Also: Avuna Group unveils business academy to address knowledge gap in SMEs
“Nigerian enterprises are arguably the most dogged and resilient in the world despite the myriads of challenges besetting the operating environment.
“While some have buckled under the excruciating local and global operating pressure of unfavourable circumstances, and others relocated in the quest for survival, most organisations have continued to trudge along, amidst the prevailing turbulence.
“In doing this, Nigerian enterprises have demonstrated social responsibility and fruitful partnership with government,” said Adeniyi at the event.
He particularly commended the companies for job creation and payment of taxes/levies to government at all levels, for development.
Festus Keyamo, minister of State for Labour and Employment, speaking at the award ceremony, praised NECA for putting it together. Keyamo also lauded companies who received various categories of awards, for their contribution to national development.
According to the minister, with the annual award, NECA has set the pace for local employers to adopt best practices in their operations, such that they match their performance with reputable employers globally.
Timothy Olawale, the director-general of NECA, explained that the award took cognizance of performances of employers last year, hence, the 2020 annual excellence award.
Olawale added that the processes leading to the selection of winners were rigorous.
“There is no better time to celebrate than now, having surmounted to some extent, the challenges posed by COVID-19; while we are not yet in Eldorado, we are definitely not hopeless.”
Some of the winners in different sectors of the economy were Dangote Fertiliser/Projects, Nestle Nigeria plc, ABC Transport, AMECO Industries, Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company, among others.
The employers’ excellence award, according to NECA, is to celebrate organisations that have implemented policies and systems that create and sustain enterprise competitiveness, productivity, industrial peace, and harmony.
