Julius Berger wins NECA Employers‘ Excellence Award

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

Nigeria’s foremost engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc Wednesday night won the largest employers‘ Award otherwise known as the prestigious Nigeria Employers‘ Consultative Association, NECA’s Construction and Construction Services sectoral Award beating every other contender in the industry.

The development, the third in the yearly series, elicited a resounding applause from the audience inside the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos venue of the event hailing the company as deserving of the Award.

According to the President of NECA, Taiwo Adeniyi in his speech, the Award is dedicated to rsilience and doggedness of Nigerian businesses, like Julius Berger who against all odds still forges ahead impactfully.

The Director General of NECA, Adewale Smart Oyerinde’s comment at the event was in tandem with that of the President. He said, the winners, and even the others are still standing doggedly doing their thing inspite of the frustrating business environment, adding, this event is occasion for us to breathe and continue to celebrate.

In announcing Julius Berger as the Winner in the sector, , NECA said “The company satisfied all criteria it employed to determine winners and were pleased beyond reasonable doubts that Julius Berger met the criteria in leadership and governance, innovation, productivity and corporate performance, effective human resources management and industrial relations practice as well as responsible business conduct. Inclusiveness and diversity, technological optimization and occupational health and safety are also some criteria employed,“ NECA concluded.

The Association expressed the hope that with the Awards, winners like Julius Berger would do more towards increasing their chances for more laurels in the future.

The President of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, CIPM; Olusegun Mojeed who presented the Award to Julius Berger added his voice to the accolades received by the ompany at the historic event. He said, “Here are the winners by all standards and against all odds in line with the theme of tonight’s occasion. Congratulations Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.“

For Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, represented by Chison Albert at the event, “…the Award says we are doing well and we are inpired to explore ways of doing more.“
Winners in other categories include MTN, Nigeria Bottling Company, Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas, NLNG, Nestle and Dangote Cement among others.

The annual Employer’s Excellence Awards is an initiative of NECA geared towards promoting and encouraging best practices in corporate performance, people management and industrial relations practices in the country. NECA itself is a globally respected Business Membership Organisation registered in 1990 with its membership cutting across enterprises operating in all sectors of the economy, professional bodies and sectoral Employers‘ Association making NECA as the only representative employers‘ organisation representing the interest of Nigerian employers in the International Labour Organisation and related groups.

The Vice President, Shettima as well as invited state governors sent representatives while the ILO and several professional bodies sent goodwill messages.

Julius Berger Nigeria Plc team included Performance Management Manager, Chigozie Okonkwo, Talent Management Officer, Chiamaka Emeh,  Human Resource Manager, Region West, Chisom Albert and Assistant senior Liaison Officer, Emmanuel Isibor.