By Kingsley Adegboye

Cement giant HBM Nigeria Plc, formerly Lafarge Africa Plc, has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable development, saying its investments in communities, environmental stewardship, and local capacity development would continue to improve lives and create a long-term value chain across the country.

The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the newly branded cement company, Mr Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, disclosed this at a media parley organised by HBM Nigeria Plc in Lagos on Monday.

Explaining the company’s new name, HBM Nigeria Plc, Alade-Akinyemi said sustainability remains central to HBM Nigeria’s business strategy, with the company consistently increasing its investments in initiatives that positively impact host communities while driving inclusive economic growth.

According to him, “Only the name of the company has changed. The purpose of the company remains the same.”

He disclosed that HBM Nigeria has steadily grown its annual sustainability spending over the past five years, funding projects across education, healthcare, environmental conservation, community infrastructure and youth empowerment in its host communities.

“Our sustainability initiatives continue to impact lives and strengthen communities because we believe strongly in sustainability, and we put our money where our heart is. Every year, we continue to increase our investments because creating shared value for our communities is fundamental to who we are as a business. We will continue to grow our business sustainably, invest in research and innovation, create opportunities for Nigerians and deliver value to our customers, shareholders and communities,” Alade-Akinyemi said.

He stated that beyond its social investments, the company’s ongoing expansion projects at its Ashaka and Sagamu plants would create significant employment opportunities by prioritising skilled and unskilled youths from host communities during construction and, upon completion, generating more than 100 direct jobs and thousands of indirect opportunities across the supply chain, while strengthening local contractors, empowering small and medium-sized enterprises and contributing to Nigeria’s industrial development.

In addition, the Group Managing Director also stressed that HBM Nigeria would continue to pursue operational efficiencies, alternative energy solutions and productivity improvements to minimise cost pressures.

“Our expansion is about much more than increasing production capacity. It is about creating jobs, empowering local businesses, supporting Nigerian contractors, and delivering lasting economic benefits. The multiplier effect is enormous, and this is only the beginning. The brands Nigerians have trusted for decades remain the same. Elephant Cement remains Elephant. Unicem remains Unicem. Ashaka remains Ashaka. Our products, our quality, and our commitment to excellence have not changed,” he added.