Chemical company gets Best Global Business in Africa award

The awards were made at the third annual African Business Awards, presented by magazine and the Commonwealth Business Council at a gala ceremony in London on Monday 21 June 2010. Prime Ministers, Philemon Yang and Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo attended the event together with 500 African ministers, ambassadors, government officials and top business leaders from all regions of Africa celebrating the achievements of prominent business people driving growth and development in the continent.

2010 African Business Award winners:

• Business Leader of the Year: Jubril Adewale Tinubu, CEO, Oando Plc, Nigeria
  
• Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year: Laurence Do Rego, Group Executive Director, Finance and Risk, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Togo
  
• African Business of the Year: Citadel Capital, Egypt
  
• Best Global Business in Africa: Yara, Norway
  
• Telecoms Company of the Year: Safaricom, Kenya
  
• Best Corporate Citizenship/ Social Responsibility: FirstRand Foundation, South Africa
  
• Good Corporate Governance: Nedbank Group, South Africa
  
• Award for Best Agricultural Development: Madame Coulibaly Maimouna Sidibe, Faso Kaba, Mali
  
• Award for Most Improved Investment Climate: The Republic of Rwanda
  
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Sir Samuel Esson Jonah
  
• Tourism Destination of the Year: South Africa

Developing Africa

The Best Global Business award is given to companies that contribute significantly to business growth and development in Africa. Developing new markets, making substantial investment and introducing best and ethical practices are among the criteria.

"The company's operations on the African continent aim at developing Africa's own food security through a green revolution, supported by our global fertilizer operations and vast crop nutrition knowledge," says Egil Hogna, head of Yara's global downstream segment.

"In addition to our sales organization in Africa, we engage in several business projects and partnerships in support of the African Green Revolution. The company has been promoting investment orientated public-private partnerships combined with a value chain perspective, taking on the role as a catalyst for investment and development."

Partnerships

Its partnerships and projects in Africa include the Tanzanian and Mozambican Agricultural Growth Corridors, the Ghana Grains Partnership and Malawi and Tanzania Agricultural Partnerships. Yara is also a strategic partner in the African Green Revolution Forum to take place in Accra, Ghana 2-4 September 2010. Its business in Africa dates back to 1929, when the first shipment of fertilisers was sent from Norway.

South African Awards

South African companies were acknowledged with the FirstRand Foundation winning Best Corporate Citizenship/Social Responsibility, the Nedbank Group for Good Corporate Governance and South Africa as the Tourism Destination of the Year.