By Chinyere Anyanwu
Crown Flour Mill Limited (CFM), the wheat milling business of Olam Agric, has won Nigeria’s National Productivity Order of Merit Award. The top award was presented to the flour milling firm by President Muhammadu Buhari, at an event held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja, recently in recognition of its robust economic contributory role.
The National Productivity Order of Merit Award was instituted by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment to reinforce productivity consciousness and excellence in both the public and private sectors.
According to Dr. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, the award was “instituted by government to recognise and honour productive individuals and organisations in Nigeria in the year of the award for achievements made in the three preceding years.”
The 2022 edition of the awards recognises individuals and businesses who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in key areas of the economy between the years 2019 and 2020.
Over 100 companies contested for the award category. A highly qualified panel comprising Ikechi Uko, a representative of the Productive Sector; Ms A. O. Adenugba, a Director in the National Productivity Centre, and Alhaji Habu Adamu Jajere, representing Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA); Mr. Uche Nwokedi, SAN, representing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), among other notable top national figures, put the contesting companies through a rigorous, highly competitive, selection process that involved a stringent screening and auditing of each business’ performance in the areas of customer service, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and customer satisfaction, environment, health & safety.
CFM emerged top in the category having demonstrated overall leadership on each of the performance indicators. Olam acquired CFM in 2010 and to strengthen its market position followed with the acquisitions of the BUA Group flour milling business in 2016 and the Dangote Flour Mills in 2019. This move was aimed at optimising its corporate strategy and formed part of a long-term investment and growth plan for the food production value chain in Africa’s largest market.
CFM continues to demonstrate unrivalled commitment to driving growth in the wheat value chain through the implementation of bold initiatives such as the Olam Green Land Webinar Series, its stakeholders’ engagement platform and the “Seeds for the Future” programme its signature and flagship wheat value chain development vehicle.