The countrys leading engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Thursday, held its 51st Annual General Meeting at the prestigious Shehu Musa YarAdua Centre, Abuja.
The tone for the successful AGM was set by the Chairman of the company, Mutiu Sunmonu, who lauded the increasingly successful and enviable value-addition competence and history that has become the defining operational emblem and unrelenting trajectory of the pace-setting Julius Berger brand in Nigeria.
He said, “I am very proud to be associated with the great Julius Berger brand in Nigeria. It is my joy to be here today to preside over this meeting as Chairman of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, a most worthy company that has and continue to so very productively, positively, and progressively impact on lives and communities all across Nigeria.”
Managing Director of the company, Engr. Dr. Lars Richter, who cued in on the chairmans positive remarks, thanked shareholders for joining the 51st AGM, which he said was the 2nd ever virtual event in the annals of the companys history, and attributed the virtual nature of the meeting to the persisting effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Richter, “Over the past year, we have successfully adapted to new ways of working and meeting. Last year, we held our first virtual AGM, and this year again we are meeting via web-stream, in consideration of continued COVID-19 risks.”
Richter, however, expressed optimism and said: “We look forward to the time when we will come back together for large in-person events, but for now, the health and safety of all is priority”.
Dr. Richter then proceeded to review the business and operations of the company for the year 2020, as well as shared an overview of Julius Berger’s overarching business strategy which, he said, pivoted on targets for each pillar,namely, the company`s core construction business, subsidiaries and diversification.
The MD reported on the Second Niger Bridge, another priority project of both the government and the company, saying Julius Berger has continued to work day and night to ensure timely completion of the project.
The bridge, he added, is being constructed “to the highest standards – meeting today’s needs, and fit for the future”. The bridge`s highly qualitative completion, Richter – a civil engineering expert – professionally assures, is aimed at user safety, reduction of traffic turnaround time, increased accessibility, and also to boost the region’s commercial integration and viability.
Richter further said that to maintain business viability, JBN Plc conducted a number of stress tests and implemented a business continuity plan, as part of the company`s resilience strategy, protecting staff health and safeguarding their means of livelihood; ensuring no jobs were lost due to COVID-19.
On its CSR efforts since the onset of the pandemic, Richter reported that: “In the face of crisis, Julius Berger maintained its strong stance as a pillar of support to our communities and the nation at large”. Richter highlighted that beyond the protective measures enacted towards staff safety and well-being, Julius Berger supported federal and state governments, as well as key public agencies and healthcare providers in their fight against the pandemic.
