ROAD SAFETY: 1500 DANGOTE CEMENT DRIVERS UNDERGO SCREENING EXERCISE

No less than 1,500 Dangote Cement truck drivers have undergone intensive screening exercises to ascertain their mental, psychological and physical fitness for safe driving.

Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement Plc, Arvind Pathak disclosed this to journalists after his presentation at the 2025 Annual Drivers Retreat held at Ilaro, Ogun state.

He explained that the screening exercise has been made mandatory for the drivers, but it had to be more intensive given the situation on the roads across the country.

The Dangote Cement boss said:  “Every driver employed by Dangote Cement is required to undergo an extensive and rigorously structured recruitment process that includes: Valid Driver’s license class G, background verification of both the driver and their guarantors, comprehensive medical evaluation, including vision screening (eye test), blood pressure checks, BMI -body mass index, RBS – random blood sugar test as well as drug and alcohol testing.

“In the past two months alone, over 1,500 prospective drivers have successfully completed this process. Only those who met all required standards were engaged and certified to operate any Dangote Group vehicles. Our commitment to safety extends beyond recruitment. All drivers undergo mandatory pre-trip medical assessments, conducted by licensed nurses and doctors.”

Pathak stated that the management of Dangote Cement Plc was irrevocably committed to training and retraining of its drivers for effectively safe and smooth driving across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

Pathak emphasised that as a leading cement manufacturer with thousands of trucks in its fleet, safety on the road remains the management’s priority.

The Dangote Cement boss stated that the company as regular road users understand its commitment to the safety of other road users and its  responsibility to other members of the society, and reaffirmed the Company’s commitment to road safety, transparency, appropriate ethical conduct, and provision of detailed clarity on the comprehensive systems and procedures to mitigate against any incident along roads across the country.

According to him, “Dangote is a responsible organisation that consistently cooperates with the Nigeria Police and other relevant authorities in the investigation of reported incidents with support of all lawful processes, aimed at establishing the facts and routinely implementing recommendations that strengthen public safety.

“Other screening covers usage within a three-month detection window, ensuring identifying any history of substance use before employment, completion of a two-week intensive training programme, which consists of twelve safety modules, practical driving assessments, and written examinations.