Dangote Cement, Ibese, Ogun State, has sanctioned more than 250 truck drivers for various safety violations between 2025 and 2026 as part of measures to strengthen road safety across its operations.
The company also showcased state-of-the-art technology and equipment it has invested in to ensure drivers remain professional and comply with safety standards while operating its trucks across the country.
The Head of Human Resources at Dangote Cement Ibese, Muhammed Al-Hassan, said the sanctions ranged from suspension to termination, depending on the severity of the offences committed by drivers.
Speaking on Thursday at a press briefing in Ogun State on the company’s approach to road safety, Al-Hassan said Dangote Cement operates a strict policy against safety violations and ensures that only properly trained drivers are permitted to operate its trucks on Nigerian roads.
“Here in Dangote Cement transport, we have various policies and we apply consequences according to drivers. Our sanctions depend on the gravity of the offence the driver has committed, be it over-speeding, illegal haulage or an accident, whether minor or major,” he said.
He explained that a committee reviews violations and determines the appropriate sanctions for offending drivers.
Al-Hassan stressed that the company’s approach does not focus solely on punishment, as drivers who consistently demonstrate responsible driving are also recognised and rewarded.
“Any driver who has adhered to the policies and strict instructions of the organisation is rewarded on an annual and monthly basis. For instance, a driver who has been driving without getting involved in accidents is rewarded monthly,” he said.
He added that drivers who maintain accident-free records are recognised during the company’s annual safety day.
“At the end of the year, during our safety day, a driver who has diligently driven without getting involved in any accident will be decorated as the safety person of the year, given a certificate and further rewarded in accordance with the organisation’s policies and processes,” Al-Hassan said.
Giving a breakdown of the sanctions, he disclosed that 200 drivers were punished in 2025, while more than 50 had already faced sanctions in 2026.
“In 2025 alone, 200 drivers were sent parking for various violations of safety protocols, and only this year we have also sent over 50 away. We have zero tolerance for violations of safety protocols. Here, safety is first,” he said.
The Head of Operations at Dangote Cement Ibese, David Idiege, said the company’s safety policy extends beyond internal disciplinary measures, noting that it can pursue drivers and, where necessary, their guarantors when serious violations occur.
“In Dangote Cement Ibese alone, we have over 4,000 trucks currently, and we enforce sanctions on drivers in line with the gravity of the driver’s offence. We pursue our sanctions to the extent of going after them, and even when we are unable to get them, maybe when they take to their heels, we go after their guarantors,” Idiege said.
He explained that the company could take legal action against drivers involved in serious violations, particularly incidents resulting in crashes or loss of lives.
“We travel to their villages and enforce sanctions to the extent of taking them up legally. Recently, we had an incident where one of our trucks was involved in an accident. We went after the driver and the guarantor, and now he is before the court,” he said.
According to Idiege, the company also uses its best-performing drivers as safety ambassadors by involving them in training programmes for other drivers.
“We have zero tolerance for safety violations. As a matter of fact, we also have a very good rewards system for those who drive diligently without getting involved in accidents. Aside from the rewards and certificates, we also bring those best drivers up to train their colleagues,” he said.
On the use of Dangote-branded trucks by unknown operators, Idiege explained that some trucks previously owned by Dangote had subsequently been leased to customers, who are now responsible for their operations.
“There are trucks previously owned by Dangote, and some are leased out to customers. Those trucks are managed by the customer and not Dangote, and we have de-branded any other truck that is not managed by us,” he said.
Idiege identified environmental conditions, proxy driving and over-speeding as some of the recurring factors behind truck-related crashes involving the company’s operations.
He warned that drivers who allow unauthorised persons to operate their trucks could face severe sanctions, including termination and prosecution.
“Yes, we observed environmental factors in many cases – bad weather, you know what that could look like. We also have proxy driving, cases where our drivers give the truck to some other person to drive for them, and the company has stringent sanctions applied to any driver caught in proxy driving,” he said.
“There is termination and prosecution awaiting any driver that engages in that. That is why we have cameras in our trucks and state-of-the-art technologies that make us see in real time what is happening in any of our trucks at every material time,” Idiege added.
The company said the combination of driver training, real-time monitoring, strict disciplinary measures and rewards for safe driving forms part of its broader effort to reduce road crashes and promote responsible operations.
