Lafarge Africa trains artisans in cement application

Seventeen construction artisans have received intensive training in cement application through a partnership arrangement between cement manufacturing giant, Lafarge Africa Plc and Rotary Club of Lagos Island. The trainees are the first batch of a programme aimed at producing building construction artisans on cement application and construction.

Lafarge said the training is in line with the company’s strategic objective to sustain skill development in the building and construction industry.

Spread over five days, the intensive training was centred on imparting theory and practical skills in masonry and concrete works as well as placing a strong emphasis on health and safety in construction.

The graduation ceremony was held at Lafarge Africa Plc’s Ready Mix plant at the Lagos Bar Beach.

Vipul Agrawal, Lafarge’s director of marketing, said the company has an extensive knowledge transfer programme as part of its effort to promote safe and sustainable quality construction in Nigeria, adding that the company’s corporate decision to engage in this initiative was informed by the existing knowledge gap evident among builders in the industry.

The company is committed to bridging the gap by providing relevant training along the critical areas along the industry’s value chain, Agrawal said.

Lafarge Africa sees itself as a major stakeholder in the building industry, and a leading supplier of building materials, to which the responsibility of standard quality enhancement falls; hence the decision to build capacity among its human resource.