HBM Nigeria Backs Skills Drive For 120 PWDs in Lagos

HBM Nigeria Plc has launched the 2026 edition of its Disability to Ability (D2A) programme, enrolling 120 persons with disabilities (PWDs) from Alimosho and Epe in Lagos State for vocational and entrepreneurial skills training.

The six-week initiative, organised in partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), began with a joint orientation and launch on Monday, September 21, 2026.

Participants are receiving training in Make-Up and Gele, Wig and Braids Making, Phone and Laptop Repairs, and Shoe and Bag Making. The curriculum also covers entrepreneurship, financial literacy, digital skills, business management, sustainable livelihoods, circular economy and green skills.

Organisers said participants will complete practical projects and assessments before graduating with a showcase of their work.

Director of Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development at HBM Nigeria, Viola Graham-Douglas, said the programme was designed to equip persons with disabilities with skills for sustainable livelihoods.

She said the initiative reflected the company’s belief that disability should not stop people from achieving their economic goals.

“Our approach to inclusion centres on fostering an environment in which potential is recognised and developed,” Graham-Douglas said. “Through D2A, we equip participants with the practical skills and broader business knowledge needed to develop their abilities, earn a living, and participate fully in society.”

The 2026 cohort builds on the company’s 2025 D2A programme, which trained 100 persons with disabilities in Lagos in similar trades. That edition was implemented with LSETF, the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development and other partners.

HBM Nigeria Plc, formerly Lafarge Africa Plc, is a building solutions company and a member of the Huaxin Building Materials Group. It operates cement plants in Ewekoro and Sagamu (Ogun State), Ashaka (Gombe State) and Mfamosing (Cross River State), with Ready-Mix facilities in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. The company has an installed cement production capacity of 10.5 million tonnes per annum.