A former president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele has emerged as the president-elect of the World Medical Association (WMA)

With his election on Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari congratulated Enabulele elected to serve the President of the WMA for the 2022-2023 executive years.

Enabulele, currently serving as the president of the Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA), is the first to be elected from West Africa.

Enabulele will take over from Heidi Stensmyren of Sweden as the president-elect of the WMA, a global confederation of free professional medical associations founded on September 17, 1947 in October 2022.

In the WMA, a new president first emerges as president-elect and remains in that capacity for one year before taking over as full-fledged president.

In a statement yesterday, the president by his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina recognised that at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the world, a Nigerian has been elected to lead a very important body whose members, around the globe, deserve commendation for their life saving roles and personal sacrifices to save humanity.

Buhari expressed optimism that the past President of the NMA and current President of CMA would bring his wealth of experience in the medical field and impressive leadership skills to his new position.

He, therefore, wished Dr Enabulele, a Chief Consultant Family Physician, every success in the new assignment, assuring him of the federal government’s unflinching support.

WMA’s Public Relations Consultant, Nigel Duncan confirmed Enabulele’s election, noting that he would will resume as the president in October, 2022.

Duncan said Enabulele “is president-elect and will only take over as the president in October 2022.”

He said Enabulele defeated his opponent, a Pakistani physician and professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Muhammad Nizami, in an online election that was held for about one week.

Nizami is currently the President of the Pakistan Medical Association.

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Founded on January 22, 1995, THISDAY is published by THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LTD., 35 Creek Road Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria with offices in 36 states of Nigeria , the Federal Capital Territory and around the world. It is Nigeria's most authoritative news media available on all platforms for the political, business, professional and diplomatic elite and broader middle classes while serving as the meeting point of new ideas, culture and technology for the aspirationals and millennials. The newspaper is a public trust dedicated to the pursuit of truth and reason covering a range of issues from breaking news to politics, business, the markets, the arts, sports and community to the crossroads of people and society.



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Shinkafi Joins APC National Chairmanship Contest

editorOctober 10, 2021 10:00 Am

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi has expressed interest in contesting for the national championship of the party.

Shinkafi revealed interest in the context an interview with THISDAY yesterday, saying he had officially notified the party of his intention to contest for the office of the National Chairman of APC.

After wide consultations and discussions with my family, friends and political associates, the APC chieftain said he decided to heed calls to contest for the office of the APC National Chairman.

Citing his wide experience as the immediate past National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the immediate past Secretary of the Board of Trustees of APGA, Shinkafi said he had what it “takes to run the affairs of the ruling party.”

If elected, APGA’s former national secretary said he would ensure that the values that birthed the ruling party in 2014 are preserved.

He said: “I will want to continue with the great job done by the Acting National Chairman His Excellency Malam Mai Bunu in re-organising and making the party the greatest party in Nigeria.

“If elected, I will also ensure that the era of impunity and imposing candidates against the will of the party’s teaming followers is gone, and the time to make hard and only decision that will serve in the interest of the general members even at the least level must be the only way out,” he said.

“In its bid to retain power in the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria in 2023, there is urgent need for the ruling party to look beyond personal interest to set its house in order by first of all ensuring that only a credible hand is ushered in to lead the party as the next national chairman.

“APC came with sound policies and programmes that would have salvaged the country but the party’s dream was short-lived because the forces that are not progressives joined the party through the backdoors only to win elections,” Shinkafi said.

He said the internal functions and wrangling within the ruling party made it to lose elections in Bauchi, Adamawa, Rivers, Imo, Oyo, Edo and Zamfara States among others apart from many legislative seats both at the states and National Assembly that were dashed away as results of poor handling of the party’s 2018 primaries.

Shinkafi, who was born on February 20, 1970 in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara, said the party currently “needs a leader who commands respect among his contemporaries, a man whose mind is bounded by reconciliatory traits and elder statesman who have paid a price for APC to survive against his personal interest.

“It will never be a plea bargain where personal interest supersede personal interest. The emergence of the ruling party from many political parties and subsequent defections at the aftermath of 2015 elections has been identified as some of the reasons why the party failed to implement its initial manifesto to get Nigeria on the right track again.

“The APC has very sound policies and programmes that are practicable, aimed at changing the fortunes of Nigerians can only be sustained if individuals who shared the party’s traits are allowed to lead as the National Chairman,” he said

Shinkafi, a graduate of Accounting from Plateau School of Accountancy and Management Sciences Studies, rose in ranks in the Sokoto State Civil Service to become an Acting Deputy Director, Internal Audit Sokoto State Hotels Service Management Board.

He joined politics and contested the chairmanship of Shinkafi Local Government on the platforms of All People Party (APP) and platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He was the State Secretary of United Nigeria People Party (UNPP) and later the State Chairman APGA, from where he became the National Secretary of the party.

Shinkafi contested as the Zamfara State governorship candidate on the platform of APGA in 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.

He was a member of the National Caucus of APGA, Member National Executive Committee (NEC) of APGA and Secretary Board of Trustee of the party.

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Founded on January 22, 1995, THISDAY is published by THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LTD., 35 Creek Road Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria with offices in 36 states of Nigeria , the Federal Capital Territory and around the world. It is Nigeria's most authoritative news media available on all platforms for the political, business, professional and diplomatic elite and broader middle classes while serving as the meeting point of new ideas, culture and technology for the aspirationals and millennials. The newspaper is a public trust dedicated to the pursuit of truth and reason covering a range of issues from breaking news to politics, business, the markets, the arts, sports and community to the crossroads of people and society.



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Lafarge: Consistently Marching Towards Net Zero

editorOctober 10, 2021 4:52 Am

Development

Kunle Aderinokun writes on Lafarge Africa’s commitment to environmental sustainability through a consistent effort to reduce carbon emissions

The United Nations in September 2021 estimated the world’s population at 7.9 billion. As the human population expands, there is an increasing need to build sustainable and affordable cities that meet the needs of the current generation, while preserving resources for future generations. As the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, a giant in a global industry that supplies critical economic infrastructure and fulfils indispensable human needs, Lafarge plays an essential role in the global acceleration towards achieving net zero.

One very important means through which Lafarge Africa fulfils this commitment to environmental sustainability is by documenting progress towards “reinventing how the world builds in order to make the planet greener, smarter and healthier for all”. It published an on Annual Sustainability Report, the 2020 edition which was presented to the Nigerian Exchange Limited, on August 26, 2021 in the Facts Behind the Sustainability Report session. The FBSR is a platform set up by the Nigerian Exchange Limited to entrench Environmental Social and Governance amongst listed companies.

Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. In other words, net zero is reached when the amount added is no more or less than the amount taken away.

Holcim Group, of which Lafarge Africa is a member has adopted a holistic approach on its journey towards net zero. It sets and monitors country specific targets across its operations in over 70 countries, invests in and deploys innovative green solutions such as the use of alternative fuels for renewable energy. This approach has also resulted in big projects such as Maiganga Wetlands in Gombe through which former coal mines covering six hectares have been transformed into a wetland rich in biodiversity. The project assists the surrounding community with irrigation that allows year-round farming.

In 2020, Lafarge Africa’s total CO2 emissions was 583 kilogrammes per tonne of cementitious material (kg/ tonnes), a significant progress that sets a solid base for the Group’s ambition to achieve the targets mapped out in its Net Zero RoadMap of achieving 550Kg net CO2/tonne of cementitious material by 2022.

Lafarge Africa’s commitment to the “circular economy” involves a move from a “take, make, waste” approach to natural resources to a “reuse and remanufacture” approach. In 2020, Lafarge reused 71,029 tons of waste such as discarded car tyres in its operations at its Ewekoro, Sagamu and Ashaka plants. Now 9% of the company’s energy is derived from alternative fuels such as palm kernel shell, cashew shells, saw dust, rice husk etc. The Holcim group aims to reuse 80 million tons of waste annually to generate power.

Reducing carbon emissions through the use of alternative fuels and recycling industrial waste has also been a way for Lafarge to create jobs. Local suppliers accounted for over 35,000 tonnes of biomass supplied to Lafarge plants in 2020 and a total of 3,000 jobs were thus generated in the host communities. Lafarge joined forces in its quest to protect the environment with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) of Nigeria and regulatory agencies like NAFDAC, as well as pharmaceutical companies. Through these partnerships, Lafarge Africa gains easy access to industrial wastes that it recycles for fuel. The company has invested over 10.7 million dollars in alternative fuel projects over the past 4 years.

The company’s freshwater withdrawal in 2020 was 201L/ton for cement and 228L/M3 for ready mix. To enhance environmentally sustainable management of scarce water resources, Lafarge Africa has installed water flow meters at its plants which measure its water consumption, withdrawal and discharge rates.

The year 2020 tested Lafarge Africa’s oft-repeated commitment to the social, human and economic resilience of its host communities. The company committed N1.2 billion to social investments. This included interventions to curtail the spread of the new coronavirus and to reduce the social and economic burdens created by the restrictions on movement imposed by the government to control the pandemic.

Lafarge’s interventions focused on creating and amplifying health awareness and prevention campaigns, provisions of drugs and medical equipment and isolation centres. Food relief packages were distributed to over 11,000 families across Lagos, Ogun, Cross River, Gombe, and Rivers States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja during the lockdown. Lafarge’s social investment programmes in 2020 included bursaries for students and training in farming and poultry to impart skills and enhance livelihoods in Nigerian communities.

The challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic highlighted the importance of a robust environmental, social and governance system, Chairman of Lafarge Africa Plc, Adebode Adefioye, remarked: “Despite an unprecedented turn of events and a challenging year, Lafarge Africa was able to demonstrate resilience through the successful implementation of several initiatives such as our Health, Cost and Cash action plan.” According to Adefioye, the company’s strong ESG framework has allowed it to prioritise the health and safety of our people, suppliers and communities as part of our mitigation strategies.

The Country CEO of Lafarge Africa Plc, Khaled El Dokani, acknowledged that the company’s business resilience strategy allowed it to stay focused on achieving sustainability targets while also implementing production cost optimisation and improved operational efficiency plans. El Dokani said at the presentation to the Nigerian Stock Exchange: “We also accelerated the Business Resilience Team and immediately initiated daily meetings to agree on our response to the growing pandemic. With these in place, we were able to prioritise our people and operations and close out the year with a remarkable performance.”

Despite the disruptions of the Coronavirus pandemic, Lafarge recorded sales revenue grew by 8.3per cent to NGN230.6 billion in 2020, while Earnings before Interest and Tax (EBIT) climbed 30.8 per cent to NGN 45.7 billion.

Lafarge Africa marked the 60th anniversary of operations in Nigeria in 2020, making it a suitable year to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable operations in host communities and the nation. To mark the anniversary, Lafarge showcased the landmark architectural monuments which have been built with Lafarge cement over the last 60 years which remain solid today. Such iconic structures include Cocoa House Ibadan, Mapo Hall Ibadan and the Lekki-Ikoyi Link bridge Lagos.

Lafarge Africa Plc, is a member of Holcim – the leading global construction materials and solutions company in the world. A publicly quoted company on the Premium Board of The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) serving the Nigerian market with a wide range of building and construction solutions specially designed to meet local housing and construction needs, Lafarge Africa Plc. has four (4) plants in Nigeria with a combined installed cement production capacity of 10.5 MTPA. At the heart of the company’s operations are research and innovation, two ideals with which we have created a viable business which has made the company the global leader in sustainable building materials and solutions.
Source: This Day