Dangote Cement Sanctions 250 Truck Drivers Over Safety Breaches

• Dangote Cement’s Ibese plant says it sanctioned more than 250 truck drivers for safety violations between 2025 and 2026, including over-speeding, illegal haulage and proxy driving.

• About 200 drivers were sanctioned in 2025, while more than 50 have already faced disciplinary action in 2026, with penalties ranging from suspension to termination.

• The company says it uses real-time cameras and other monitoring technologies to track its trucks, while rewarding drivers who maintain accident-free records.

August 21, () — Dangote Cement Plc’s Ibese plant in Ogun State has sanctioned more than 250 truck drivers for various safety violations between 2025 and 2026 as part of efforts to reduce road crashes and enforce responsible driving practices.

The company said the sanctions, which ranged from suspension to termination, were imposed according to the severity of the offences committed by individual drivers.

Head of Human Resources, Dangote Cement Ibese, Muhammed Al-Hassan, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing on the company’s road safety measures in Ogun State.

He said the company operates a strict safety policy and allows only properly trained drivers to operate its trucks.

Over 250 Drivers Sanctioned

According to Al-Hassan, about 200 drivers were sanctioned in 2025, while more than 50 had already faced disciplinary action in 2026.

“In 2025 alone, 200 drivers were sent parking for various violations of safety protocols, and only this year we have also sent over 50 away. We have zero tolerance for violations of safety protocols. Here, safety is first,” he said.

He explained that the disciplinary process considers the gravity of each violation, including over-speeding, illegal haulage and accidents.

However, the company said its approach does not focus solely on punishment.

Drivers who consistently comply with safety requirements and maintain accident-free records are rewarded monthly and annually.

Al-Hassan said outstanding drivers are recognised during the company’s annual safety programme, where one may be named safety person of the year and receive a certificate and other rewards.

Technology Used to Track Trucks

Head of Operations, Dangote Cement Ibese, David Idiege, said the company’s safety measures extend beyond internal disciplinary procedures.

He said the Ibese operation has more than 4,000 trucks and that serious violations could result in action against both drivers and their guarantors.

According to Idiege, the company has pursued legal action against drivers involved in serious incidents, including cases involving crashes.

He said the company also uses its best-performing drivers as safety ambassadors, involving them in training programmes to improve the safety practices of other drivers.

Idiege identified bad weather and other environmental conditions, proxy driving and over-speeding as some of the major factors behind truck-related incidents.

He said proxy driving, where an authorised driver allows another person to operate a truck, attracts severe sanctions, including termination and possible prosecution.

To detect such violations, Dangote Cement said it has installed cameras and other technologies in its trucks that allow the company to monitor operations in real time.

“That is why we have cameras in our trucks and state-of-the-art technologies that make us see in real time what is happening in any of our trucks at every material time,” Idiege said.

The company also clarified that not every truck carrying the Dangote brand is currently operated by the cement manufacturer.

Idiege explained that some trucks previously owned by Dangote have been leased to customers, who are now responsible for their operations. He said the company had de-branded trucks no longer under its management.

Dangote Cement said the combination of driver training, real-time monitoring, disciplinary measures and incentives for safe driving forms part of its broader strategy to reduce road crashes and improve safety across its transport operations.