Cadbury Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Mondelez International, received three awards and a special recognition at the International Finance Corporation (IFC)and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX) Nigeria2Equal Programme Awards, which took place in Lagos State, recently.
The awards are Company Board Gender Diversity Award (which spotlights organizations that have achieved a gender balanced board of directors of up to 40 to 60 percent on their supervisory and management boards).
Family-Friendly Workplace Excellence Award (spotlights organizations that have implemented best-in-class policies, especially in the areas of parental leave and paid childcare programmes).
Gender Diversity in Supply Chains Award (spotlights the exceptional achievement of organizations that have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to gender diversity in their supply chain).
Cadbury Nigeria also received a Special Recognition for Women Empowerment and Leadership.
Commenting on the awards, Oyeyimika Adeboye, Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria said the organization’s philosophy of promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, is embedded in its DNA.
“We signed on to the Nigeria2Equal Gender programme in 2021 as part of our agenda on Diversity, Equity, and Incusion (DEI) and Great Place to Work (GPTW),” she added. “This has helped us to focus on what matters most.
“We will continue to provide the right platform for female employees in our organization to achieve their career objectives. We will also maintain our current policy of supporting our female business partners to thrive in their business because we believe in the empowerment of women.”
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who presented the special recognition award to Cadbury Nigeria and other recipients, commended the awardees for promoting initiatives that focus on women. Sanwo-Olu, who also lauded the IFC and NGX for the initiative, said the programme is drawing more attention to gender equality in Nigeria.
“Your unwavering dedication to reducing gender gaps and fostering a more equitable workplace serves as an inspiration for us all,” he said. “We must continue to challenge the status quo, break down barriers and ensure that men and women alike have equal opportunities to contribute to the growth and prosperity of our nation.”
In her remarks during the award ceremony, Ms. Dahlia Khalifa, IFC’s Regional Director, Central Africa, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, commended the progress of participating companies in championing the cause of women in their organizations.
Mr. Temi Popoola, the Chief Executive Officer, NGX, commended IFC for conceptualising the Nigeria2Equal program and partnering with the Exchange to launch the initiative. He said both organizations have a shared commitment to encouraging private sector companies to reduce gender gaps in leadership, employment, and entrepreneurship.
