By Hauwa Ali
Dangote Industries Ltd. (DIL), has won Brànd Africa awards in eight different categories as Most Admired Nigerian Brand, West Africa’s Most Admired Brand, West Africa’s Most Admired African Brand, Most Admired Nigerian Brand in Africa, among others.
Mr Tony Chiejina, Group Head, Corporate Communications, Dangote Group, in a statement in Lagos, said the awards is as a result of the company’s leadership position in driving quality brands across the continent.
Chairman, Brand Africa, Mr Thebe Ikalafeng, said the rankings were based on a pan-African survey covering over 25 countries, which collectively accounted for over 85 per cent of Africa’s population and 85 per cent of the continent’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“The research is conducted by GeoPoll, the world’s leading mobile surveying platform, with strategic analyses, insights.
“The ranking was conducted by Kantar, the world’s leading data, insights and consulting company and Brand Leadership Group, Africa’s foremost branding, strategic communications and intellectual property advisory firm,” he said.
He also stated that DIL remains a global African brand that symbolised African pride, retaining its number one Made-in-Nigeria brand rank.
He added that DIL had also moved up a rank in the Top 100 most admired brands.
Mr Rabiu Umar, Group Chief Commercial Officer, DIL, commended Brand Africa for the initiative of building and promoting African brands while expressing appreciation to the organisers and urged them not to relent in their efforts to see that brands from Africa compete favourably with foreign ones.
Umar added that the company had risen a notch higher as a global brand with the export of Dangote Fertiliser to many countries of the world.
“People now identify with the brand and in all the countries where we operate, Dangote Cement has become a reference point.
“To the management of DIL, the ranking was not unexpected, because the company has a long-standing reputation for quality, relevance, compliance and social stewardship.
“Our mission and vision engage and inspire us; and by extension connects us to both our internal and external stakeholders.
“We fervently believe that only Africans can develop Africa, and this gives us stronger sense of relevance in all the countries where we have our operations.
“We are touching lives by providing their basic needs and empowering Africans more than ever before, creating jobs, reducing capital flight, and helping government to conserve foreign exchange drain by supporting different industrial and infrastructural projects of African governments,” he said.