Powergas Nigeria Group holds ESG leadership commitment summit

Powergas Nigeria, Africa’s largest compressed natural gas producer and distributor, in line with current global best practices and the contemporary marketplace, recognises the need to be futuristic in approach while delivering the desired financial bottom-line. In 2015, the United Nations global campaign on businesses issued the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which led to the adoption of sustainable management by many global entities.

It is in this light that the business group comprising Powergas Nigeria, Cummins Power Generation (Nigeria) Limited, Soventix Hybrid Nigeria and Gentec Nigeria have taken the campaign for corporate sustainability within its businesses to a new level, whilst also continuing to focus on the communities within its environments, its employees and the various people who contribute in one way or the other to driving the success of their business. This commitment was exhibited at the First Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) leadership commitment summit held on the 13th of February 2020. The summit, which involved the leaders of the business from across the group, featured a paper presentation by Dr. Nosike Agokei CFIS, a sustainability expert. His presentation underscored the importance of leadership commitment to ESG as a phenomenon in contemporary society.

According to Agokei, adoption of ESG sustainability and investment in this course of action must not be because the government dictates so or to fulfill the terms of government subsidies or funding, “but because this is what the management team chooses to do in their own enlightened self-interest – to create a firm that would be a profitable agent of change in cleaning up one of the most archaic and under progressed segments of the energy industry.”

The event was chaired by Chairman of the group, Deepak Khilnani, who reiterated the importance of E.S.G in the business group stating, ‘’Our group has been on a 20-year journey to build a business in Nigeria that can deliver value to all our stakeholders; our shareholders, our employees, our communities and the nation.

Our focus on the use of domestic natural gas as a viable replacement for imported and pollutant fuels have been central to that mission. I am pleased to be able to say that we have achieved our objectives in an ethical and sustainable way by ensuring that our ESG commitment is at the core of our business. My ambition is that not only do we adhere to this business ethos but that we set a shining example in our industry for others to follow’’.

“From day one, Powergas Nigeria has acknowledged that we have broader responsibilities to identify and manage environmental and social risks and impacts of our companies and projects. Following that, the ESG was the company’s natural next step in formally aligning our business strategies with the United Nations global campaign, and our ongoing commitment is to implement them through our internal, environmental and social policies.”

While giving the group’s ESG action plan for 2020, the Group ESG Director, Cheta Nwabuike, announced that the group had formed an expanded Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) team of experts to support the ongoing implementation of the ESG. The committee will monitor and advise Group CEOs and Board of Directors regarding environmental, health and safety, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, sustainability, and related policy matters. One of the highlights of the event was the launch of the ESG water bottle to staff as a way to check the use of plastic bottles around the company.

The event was graced amongst others by group directors and CEOs including Pulak Sen, Managing Director, Powergas Nigeria group; Sumeet Singh, Victor Eburajolo and Aloy Duru (all directors in the Power gas group); Daniele Sechi, Director and CEO, Cummins Power Generation (Nigeria) Limited; Graham Christie, CEO, Cummins Energy Solution (Nigeria) Limited and Alex Papachristou, Managing Director, Soventix Hybrid Nigeria Limited.