West African Ceramics: Adding Value, Ensuring Standard

West African Ceramics, located in Ajaokuta, is one ceramic company that has a mission and vision founded on a sound value system of hardwork, accountability, discipline, quality and consumer satisfaction.

This, the company disclosed is with a view to attaining the vision of boosting the Nigeria economy through manufacturing of value added products and job creation for the teeming populace.

The company was incorporated in 2006, to engage in the production of vitrified tiles, ceramics floor, wall and roofing tiles, has a present production capacity of 15000sqm per day with a future plan to expand production to 30,000sqm per day.

Only few people are also aware  that West African Ceramics Limited, Ajaokuta, was established in Nigeria since 1995 under the name Royal Ceramics, located in Suleja, Niger State, is a leading brand name in the Nigerian ceramics market and Sub-Saharan West African region due to growing demand for European standard quality tiles has no doubt carved a niche for itself.

One basic fact that cannot be disputed about West African Ceramics, is the company’s value addition to its host communities and the people of the state.

As much as 80% of a workforce of 1500(direct and indirect) labour force are from Kogi State, thereby making the company the largest employers of labour in the State.

A cross section of workers who spoke about the operation of the West African Ceramics praised the company operators for their compliance with the extant labour laws of Nigeria.

The praised the company most especially for its compliance with labour laws on employment, remuneration and the absorption, a feat that has engender peaceful employer employee relationship.

The company’s concern over the rights of workers to rest and leisure cannot be over emphasized as workers in the organization attest to the fact that it is home away from home.

Similarly, in the area of improve workers remuneration, respondents attest that it is above average when compared with other similar firms in the country, while workers are given the choice to work during weekends and holidays also received the commendation of most of the workers who spoke on the company’s operation, a feat they adduced are some reasons for the industrial harmony existing in the company.

Workers of the West African Ceramic company also eulogized the company for its industrial legislation which seek to protect workers from work-related hazards, with evidence that abound that the company pays compensation for injuries.

As part of its corporate social responsibilities to the host communities, the company has rehabilitated roads, provided relief materials to flood victims, provided portable drinking water to several communities of its host communities through the construction of several bore holes.

Also the company in the area of education has awarded scholarship to indigent children from its host communities, provided electricity, built and renovated mosques and has began the process of building a church.

These efforts of the company, achieved since it began operation in the state, has brought about a cordial and harmonious relationship between the company, the host and neighboring communities.

Little wonder in their testament on how the firm has impacted the area, the Ohi of Eganyi and the Onu Ajaokuta, all revered traditional rulers, said the company is a blessing to the host communities, assuring that efforts is being made to create an enabling environment that would lead to maximum productivity for the company.

The operation of the West African Ceramics is not without the usual challenge that confronts most businesses that operate in the country. Some of these challenges include not having a dedicated line of 33KVA of electricity, which would have led to reduction cost of production as it relate to energy.

Similarly, the company’s huge expenditure on the cost of Natural Gas, through the Nigerian Gas Company, the dilapidated nature of the road that leads to the plant, which most times hinders easy access to the raw material and finished goods are some challenges affecting the organization.

The prospects of the West African Ceramics to break even no doubt remains high and would motivate other would be investors to come to the state in view of the abundant raw materials available,  the Federal and State Government can encourage the firm by patronizing their products for all government buildings and if possible enforce ban on substandard products (Tiles) as well as discourage the importation of foreign products, which can be made possible through increase in import duties on tiles.

On the secret of its operational success story,  the human resource Manager of West African Ceramics,  Alhaji Abdulraheem Bello, and three others, namely, Alhaji Adama Samari (labour contractor), Alhaji Mohammed Ndanusa (administrative director) and a trustee of the National Union of Chemicals, Footwear, Rubber, Leather, and Non-Metallic Product Employees (NUCFLANMPE), Comrade Isiaku Musa, disclosed that the company’s policy put the interest, welfare of its staff and community first, little wonder the peaceful coexistence that has existed between the company and its major stakeholders. They also disclosed that complying with the relevant laws regulating industrial relations in Nigeria which places premium on the well-being of its workers as demonstrated in workers remuneration of a sum above the national minimum wage, ranging between N20,000 and above, depending on the categorisation the worker falls under” Bello said stands them out.

He added that workers are entitled to one day off, per week, sick, casual and annual leaves.

On overtime, popular among production firms, Bello said that workers in West African Ceramics are not forced to embark on overtime work. He added that the official working ours last between 7:00am and 4:00pm, with a one hour break interval, while workers are at liberty to do overtime which lasts between 4:00pm and 7:00pm

Bello added that: “The confirmation of a staff on probation is legally six months, subject to performance.” Said the management has addressed the issue of appointment letters for its workers towards providing for them full employment status.

Concerning, industrial safety, Bello said that the company has an industrial clinic to handle emergency cases and three other designated hospitals where sick staff are usually referred to for treatment, if need be.

While he explained that workers are provided safety equipments while on duty, the negligence of employees not using protective wares he added is responsible for cases of accidents and gave an insight into an accident involving a staff, where the company spent over N4 million for treatment and compensation, he said.

Without exaggeration, the establishment of West African Ceramics, has created jobs for the unemployed people and has given its host communities a new lease of life, can be said to be the best thing that has happened at Ajaokuta, a town in Kogi State that host the multi- billion naira moribund steel plant