Africa CEO Forum names Dangote Group Company of the Year

Dangote Group has emerged “African Company of the Year” at the just-concluded Africa CEO Forum held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

To clinch the General Electric (GE)- sponsored award, Dangote Group emerged top among eight other international companies nominated through a special process that took several factors into consideration.

Also, the Chairman of Honeywell Group, Chief Oba Otudeko, was honoured with award of the African CEO of the Year award at the event.

According to the organisers, the Africa CEO Forum’s awards are given to companies and investors whose strategies show their determination to take part in Africa’s dynamic growth.

“Because their achievements encourage the emergence of competitive African companies, the nominees are selected for their commitment and results in four areas,” the organisers said.

The areas are listed as promotion of Africa’s private sector; strengthening regional integration; development of intra-African trade and social and environmental responsibility.

Receiving the award on behalf of the President of company, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, expressed his company’s appreciation for the award and the forum in general, saying it was a veritable platform for African decision makers to discuss common problems of African nations and proffer solutions.

The Dangote Group according to him would continue to make wise investments in sectors that are critical to the economy of Africa.

He said: “On behalf of my boss, Aliko Dangote, who was here during the opening session, we would like to say a big thank you to the organisers of this event, Jeune Afrique. Also, we thank you for your recognition, for the honour of bringing this event home to Africa for the first time.
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“I am sure this is the right residence for this conference, thank you for that. We want to say thank you to all African heads of state and government, the ministers, who have in one way or the other, helped us to achieve our dream as the best company in Africa.

“We thank you so much and we continue to do Africa proud.”

In his own acceptance remark, Otudeko thanked the forum for the award, saying: “I see the award as recognition of commitment and indeed confidence, that the future of Africa resides strongly in the patriotic African person.

“Our future is bright. We should not allow our challenges to diminish our confidence. Africa would prosper in cooperation with all our friends, who are within Africa and outside Africa.”

Other nominees for the company of the year award were Seplat Petroleum, Safaricom, Sanlam, NASPERS, Maroc Telecom, Sanlam, Ascendis and iSON.

Young CEO of the year award went Sebastien Kadio-Morokro, managing director of Petrol Ivoire, who beat Nigeria’s Jason Njoku, CEO and co-founder of Iroko Partners.

A Gabonese bank, BGFI was named the Bank of the Year beating leading banks such as Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Zenith Bank, and Standard Bank.

The award for the International Corporation of the Year was given to Heineken, while ECP Private Equity was named the private equity investor of the year.

The forum introduced a new award – the Young CEO of the Year award which was won by Sebastien Kadio-Morokro, Managing Director of Petrol Ivoire, who beat Nigeria’s Jason Njoku, the CEO and co-founder of Iroko Partners.

Recently, Dangote Cement Plc, one of the companies under the Dangote Group won the Business of the Year Award at the African Business Awards ceremony on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The judging panel applauded Dangote Cement for its continued drive to develop new tailored products, gain market share and expand its activities throughout the continent.