OBajana, Nigeria (Chatnewstv.com) — Dangote Cement Plc has introduced stricter requirements for its truck drivers as part of a new safety push, with the company vowing to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for road crashes.
The move comes as the Dangote Articulated Trucks Drivers Training School (DATDTS), in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), began implementing tougher entry criteria for aspiring drivers at the company’s Obajana plant in Kogi State.
Speaking to journalists, Dangote Cement’s Head of Transport, Murilo Silva, said the measures include installing cameras across the firm’s fleet of compressed natural gas trucks and subjecting applicants to rigorous checks.
“Applicants must be at least 23 years of age and possess a minimum of five years’ driving experience, in addition to holding a valid Class G driver’s license,” Silva said. “They must also undergo medical evaluations, drug testing, and have no pending legal cases.”
Silva added that the company conducts regular training and recertification for drivers in partnership with FRSC, along with mandatory health, safety and environment assessments. “Drivers’ participation in monthly training has grown by 60% this year, with drug and alcohol testing up by 40%, while pre-trip inspections have recorded an impressive 74% increase,” he said.
The Divisional Head of Transport at the Obajana plant, Hemant Rana, said Dangote has built a multi-million-naira pre-trip inspection bay and a drivers’ rest house to improve safety. “We have developed a monitoring system of our drivers that helps them do their jobs safely,” he said. “We also have a Control Department that follows up with drivers’ behaviour while on trips.”
Daniel Marcus Akuso, Manager of the Drivers Training School, said the institution — the first of its kind in Nigeria — offers courses ranging from defensive driving and truck handling to civic education and maintenance technology, all in partnership with the FRSC.
Group Managing Director Arvind Pathak disclosed that more than 1,500 Dangote truck drivers have already undergone intensive screening to test their mental, psychological and physical fitness.
“Every driver employed by Dangote Cement is required to undergo an extensive and rigorously structured recruitment process that includes background verification, comprehensive medical evaluation, eye tests, blood pressure checks, BMI and blood sugar tests, as well as drug and alcohol screening,” Pathak said.
Dangote Cement operates one of the largest trucking fleets in Nigeria, and the company says the new measures are part of efforts to curb accidents and raise safety standards on the country’s highways.
