Makoju Retires from Dangote Cement

Makoju Retires from Dangote Cement

The Group Managing Director/CEO of Dangote Cement Plc, Engr. Joseph Makoju will retire from the company with effect from January 31, 2020.

He had held the position since 2018; according to a report from the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Makoju, is bowing out after 45 years of transformational leadership in the cement industry.

The Board has however approved the appointment of Mr. Michel Puchercos as his replacement as the Group CEO, effective 1st February 2020.

The outgoing GMD/CEO of Nigeria’s largest cement manufacturer, holds a BSc (1st Class) honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Nottingham, UK and an M.Phil. in Mechanical Engineering from the same university. He is also an alumnus of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State.

Before his current position, Makoju was Honorary Adviser to the President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, from 2009 to 2018. He was also Chief Operating Officer, Dangote Cement. He has worked in several world-class organisations including Shell-BP; Blue Circle (UK), and WAPCO which he headed as Managing Director/CE for about a decade before taking up an appointment as Managing Director/CE of the National Electric Power Authority (now Power Holding Company of Nigeria).

He served as Special Adviser (Electric Power) to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria under two separate Administrations. He was pioneer Chairman of the Board of the West African Power Pool for eight years and remains today an Honorary Member of the board. He is also Chairman of the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CMAN).

On the other hand, Puchercos, who until his latest appointment, was the Group Managing Director and Country CEO of Lafarge AFRICA (March 2016 – Jan 2020). He has more than twenty years’ experience in the Cement industry. He had worked extensively at Lafarge, including as the President & Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge Halla Cement, Director of Strategy and Systems at Lafarge Gypsum through Chief Executive Officer of Bamburi Cement, Kenya, Hima Cement, Uganda and Chairman, Mbeya Cement, Tanzania.

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