Henkel,makers of WaW and Nittol detergent and soap brands, operating under Expand Global Industries Limited (EGIL), in Nigeria, has disclosed that the sustainability of its business is hinged on provisions made to ensure the safety and health of its workers.
This, as it said its commitment to safety, which is a part of the company’s 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.
The Human Resources Manager, EGIL, Aliyu Jibril made this known as he posited that the manufacturing giant promotes the economic and social development of its communities as a local employer, purchaser and investor.
Jibril said 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 the company, which generated direct employment for more than 1,000 people in the Ibadan plant, maintained a growing industrial eco-system comprising local toll manufacturers and suppliers that support the daily operations such as raw material sourcing, packaging, transportation and trade marketing, among others; thus, contributing to the economy locally 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.
He stated that 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 to produce 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 SHE standards in its Ibadan site, thus, contributing to satisfy the local demand for products that combine high performance, reliability, and quality.
“Commitment to safety has been an integral part of our corporate culture for decades. Throughout the organization, our people are passionate about growing our business successfully, responsibly, and safely.
“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.
A visit to the company’s site at Ibadan shows that workers safety is paramount as they undergo comprehensive Safety Health Environment and Quality (SHEQ) training before work, with corporate procedures in place to regulate the process.
Founded in 1876, Henkel targets sustainable value for its customers, consumers, people, and the wider society. Looking back over 140 years of success built around established safety procedures, 52,450 employees were working for Henkel worldwide at the end of 2019.
Jibril said regular and comprehensive training courses are held multiple times a year at all sites to ensure employees perform their duties safely and responsibly and they are provided with all the necessary personal protective equipment as they operate under close supervision.
A part of the WaW and Nittol range of detergents and bar soaps manufacturers’ long-term commitment to social progress is the health and preventive care programmes applied to safeguard against workplace and general health risks, and a comprehensive package provided to its employees.
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 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 in Ibadan, Nigeria, an educational facility designed to support children with special needs.
EGIL, through Henkel’s Global Solidarity Programme also supported local communities affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic by donating to front-liners in Lagos state to help them mitigate the challenges of the pandemic and alleviating the risks associated with their exposure to patients undergoing treatment.
It donated WAW soap bars to the Oyo state government to help the state-run isolation and treatment centres and also made donations to the Oyo state government to run an awareness campaign about the importance of social distancing and other COVID-19 preventative measures.
