At Dangote Group, Igazeuma Okoroba is transforming the industry through sustainability practice

Igazeuma Okoroba (Ph.D) is General Manager, Sustainability of Dangote Cement Group. She is a Development Sociologist with over 19 years of experience in civil society, media, oil & gas, telecommunications and manufacturing sectors. Her career purpose is to transform industry through sustainability innovation for business growth and sustainable livelihoods for Africans.

She is a self-starter and an altruistic personality with an aptitude for advocacy and research. Having mastered diverse roles in the business value chain, Igazeuma has performed roles in strategy, social impact assessment, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. Presently, she manages multidisciplinary and multicultural teams in 11 African countries. As part of her current role, she works to integrate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors in business operations. She leads the company’s circular economy programme.

Igazeuma mentors a group of young professionals aspiring for strategic roles in industry, while also supporting civil society and academia as an academic reviewer of international journals. Her research interests lie in development sociology, human geography, gender and energy transition. Her work explores mechanisms through which social, spatial, and temporal contexts shape corporate outcomes in African societies. She is passionate about knowledge sharing and welcomes opportunities for bridging the ‘town’ and ‘gown’ divide in institutions.

Okoroba holds an M.Sc in Sustainable Development from the University of Exeter, UK and a PhD in Development Sociology, from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She is a fellow of the Institute of Corporate Governance of Nigeria (ICGN) and the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP). She also serves on the board of non-governmental organisations focused on social development.

Tell us about your childhood experiences and influences

I grew up as a second child in a family of seven with two academic parents. Living in the staff quarters of a University Campus meant we led a fairly conservative life. What stood out in my childhood though was the role my father played in supporting his five girls to become strong intelligent women. Before my parents had the boys they raised us to be confident citizens that would take on the challenges regardless of gender. My father made us comfortable doing the dominantly male chores like changing a flat car tyre, harvesting plantain and sometimes lifting fairly heavy items. I learned early in life that I could bring about social change wherever I was because my father exemplified this in the way he championed development projects in our community. I attribute my passion for society and inclination to activism to those early years of experiencing rural life whenever we had the chance to visit our village during the long holidays. The inequality between the rural and urban dwellers was something I believed I would grow up to tackle someday.

Why the choice to work for Dangote Group? What makes the Group tick?

In all the places I have been blessed to work, my career has been hinged on service to society. Throughout my 19-year journey in media, civil society, oil and gas and telecoms infrastructure, my roles exposed me to observing development needs. Whether I conducted research, implemented an advocacy campaign or an SME venture, the ability to scale solutions to development problems relied on models created externally, which were adapted or wholly adopted in Nigeria. When I observed the short-lived impact of such externally driven development models, it is not difficult to see why countries like ours made only slow progress. What was lacking was home-grown solutions to problems. Dangote Group, however, offered me a unique opportunity to address directly Africa’s need for homegrown solutions to its development problems. While I cannot deny the contribution of globalization to investment in Africa, our businesses must evolve to self-actualization. This is what the Dangote group exemplifies and it’s a privilege to be part of a business which inspires optimism through its ambition of a self-sufficient Africa.

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What are your responsibilities as General Manager, Sustainability of Dangote Cement Group?

I am responsible for directing the sustainability program objectives and operations to ensure compliance with local and international protocols. This is like going on a journey with people from CSR, supply chain, HR, and operations to support the business in creating a positive impact in society. Our job is to promote the well-being of the people and the planet in ways that profit society. Some of the ways we promote sustainable development include initiatives in energy conservation, waste recycling, greenhouse gas reduction and the use of renewable resources. We actively engage stakeholders to understand their needs and this helps in developing initiatives that benefit business and society.

Share with us about being a Development Sociologist

First, people need to know that a Sociologist studies human behaviour and society as a way of finding solutions to society’s problems. While others may attempt to solve such problems based on assumptions, we use empirical testing to find evidence with informs the solution to adopt. As a Development Sociologist in the industry, I am constantly exploring the linkages between social, cultural, political and institutional influence on business and economic growth in society. For instance, my approach to solving a rural-urban migration problem may be through interventions to provide economically gainful activities, improve literacy, advancement of democracy or the reduction of mortality rate which are all sociological phenomena that impact the quality of life for rural dwellers. The approach I adopt will be determined by investigating a pattern of relationships and other factors to achieve a positive development outcome.

Tell us about your career purpose being to transform the industry

I accepted my current role in the pursuit of my career purpose to transform the industry through sustainability practice. Before this, I was looking out for sectors with opportunities to accelerate local economic development phenomenally. I had worked in corporate governance and project management but I wanted an environment where my ideas for social innovation could thrive. A significant part of my career in resource-intensive industries had focused on managing the company’s license to operate. It was my duty to design and implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The challenge however was that CSR was often treated as philanthropy rather than as a strategy which would benefit businesses and communities. This bothered me and I found myself resigning to pursue a master’s in sustainability which will equip me to achieve my goal of recording longer-lasting impact. After gaining an advanced degree in sustainable development I returned to industry to apply my skills. The manufacturing sector provided me with an excellent platform to innovate like never before and I am now utilizing this opportunity in sustainability leadership. This July marks 12 years since I have been part of systems transforming companies’ CSR to business strategies that integrate ESG_ Environmental, Social and Governance factors. This has been very fulfilling.

Share with us on your aptitude for advocacy and research

As a Development Sociologist, empirical testing is at the heart of many projects I undertake, even personal ones. You can say that I am a stereotype-averse person as I tend to challenge the status quo to learn more and find answers. I am a lifelong learner. This is really why I create time to do research. I have participated in social development research in at least 96 Communities in Nigeria. Occasionally I publish academic papers in peer-reviewed journals, and also share my advocacy work in articles and personal essays. My advocacy primarily aims to highlight social issues I feel strongly about as well as find a community of people interested in driving change in that area. I promote them through podcasts, radio and tv documentaries. In 2012 I received recognition for an award as Woman in Media in the maiden Wise Women Award in Nigeria.

How are you able to cover multidisciplinary teams in 11 African countries of your company’s operations?

Diversity in the workplace is one of the things I love best about my job. As our operations are spread across 11 African countries in Africa, the mix of cultures and professional disciplines implies that we speak diverse languages, with different communications styles and decision-making approaches. This can be a challenge but I have been blessed to experience more of the benefits of multidisciplinary teams such as improved creativity and productivity. My team has been formidable because we have learned to keep an open mind. For me, the more I listen, the more I learn from colleagues in other fields. I truly love this about Dangote and I look forward to harnessing more of this diverse talent pool to achieve my team’s objectives.

Share with us about your passion for mentorship and how you carry it out

I began mentoring intentionally in 2011 when I set up an NGO focused on women and girls. I mentored volunteers of the NGO. Another group are working women navigating the world of business and family while aspiring to advance in their careers. Their lives mirror my journey as a working mother of 4 children pursuing advanced degrees while managing a non-profit part-time and working full-time. Interactions with these women are more fluid and I try to accommodate their sessions which are mostly about unburdening and strategizing. I have also gained mentees from speaking opportunities and business forums. Owing to the demands of my present role, I am not able to accept many mentorship requests because my focus now is to move from mentorship to true sponsorship of those I have mentored.

In what ways are you exploring mechanisms through which social contexts shape corporate outcomes in African societies?

One of my sustainability goals is to explore circularity as a way of tackling climate change. Climate change is a debatable topic and is often not considered the priority of African society. My take is this, if emerging economies are to mitigate the impact of climate change, we must deal with it as a socio-economic challenge which threatens not just the environment but the livelihoods of people. Poverty, which is a social problem in Africa inhibits our ability to tackle climate change, therefore, we need a strategy which addresses both problems. By exploring opportunities in the use of alternative raw materials we are learning how managing waste properly can mitigate climate change and can be a source of income for underserved communities of Africa.

How are you facilitating the execution of NGO partnerships that benefits underserved host communities?

My career in development began at the United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) where the programmes officer implemented interventions for SME development and environmental sustainability. As I joined the industry, the scope of my work with communities expanded to programmes in access to health, social welfare, education and other areas of social development. My experience at UNITAR coupled with the experience I gained volunteering with non-profits like the Nigeria Red Cross Society, helped me in facilitating partnerships with development partners in Nigeria. In diverse projects implemented in the Northern states like Gombe to Bayelsa in the South, I have supported development partnerships that have reached over two million direct beneficiaries in projects worth a pretty sum sponsored by companies I worked for.

How are you mobilising donations for humanitarian work in the Niger Delta of Nigeria?

My interest in humanitarian work began during my years in Secondary school when I was President of the Nigeria Red Cross society and Health Prefect. Since I left school I have carried on with this passion through volunteering for different NGOs until I was able to organise a group of my own. I directly recruited and trained 89 volunteers who accompanied me to outreaches and afterwards continued to support the NGO’s work. Through our advocacy and campaigns, we partnered with organisations and Community-Based Groups (CBOs) that supported our causes to raise donations in cash and kind. Some of the volunteers that worked with me have continued to pursue humanitarian causes of their interest and I continue to provide mentorship and support when I can.

What challenges are peculiar to top female execs, using yourself as an example and how are you rising above it?

A common challenge would be the ability to participate equally with the men who are dominant at the executive level. Even as diversity on corporate boards is becoming a priority, women typically do not hold the floor as much as their male counterparts. When a woman sits at a table with 14 other male executives the potential benefits of board diversity are lost because women remain underrepresented. This can make a woman feel insecure and she begins to censor herself or avoid speaking at meetings. I rise above this by telling myself that I am a change agent and my voice is a representation of women who are not in the room. I try to identify allies and build kinships with trusted male executives, this helps me feel psychologically safe to share my ideas confidently. Something else that helps me articulate my views confidently is writing down my thoughts before Exco meetings. This way, I am not intimidated by the dominant male executives who may hijack the discussion or disagree with my point of view.

Day never to be forgotten and why

A day never to be forgotten, this is quite personal. It would be the day I had my first child. I must have spent 18 hours in labour and I begged to be induced for a C-section after so much pain. I had him in a public hospital and the midwives were not kind enough to grant my request. It was one of my most vulnerable points in life as a woman. Every time I share the story with the gentleman I delivered in that painful labour we laugh and I tell myself “it was all worth it”. I must confess that being a working Mom with four children, moving cities with them with a spouse who sometimes worked in a different city, made my work-life not very balanced. As un-balanced as my life was, I would keep the faith and forge ahead knowing that someday I would enjoy the fruits of my labour. This month, my first son graduates from Secondary School and the 18 hours in labour suddenly means nothing. It was worth it!

Final words

Like me, there are many women today who brave the storms and don’t give up on their life’s purpose of being an agent of social change despite the hurdles. Work-life balance might be a tough call for us but with proper planning, a strategy and a support system, the sky won’t be the limit.