2025 Service Awards: You’re our strenght – Lubasch tells Julius Berger workers

2025 Service Awards: You’re our strenght – Lubasch tells Julius Berger workers

The nation’s leading engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC has honoured 598 employees for their dedicated service spanning 10 to 45 years during its annual Long Service Award ceremonies held nationwide on December 5–6.

Group photograph of some awardees and management of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC at the 2025 Long Service Awards Ceremony held in Abuja

L-R: Assistant General Secretary, Senior Staff Association, SSA, Comrade Solace Orlu; Vice President, SSA, Comrade Carol Ben-Mogbor; National President, SSA, Comrade Erayokan Silvester; former HR Coordinator, Uyo and recipient of 45 years Long Service Award, Alhaji Ibrahim Salawu, Managing Director, Engr. Dr. Peer Lubasch and General Secretary, SSA/Commercial Manager, AFP, Comrade Jamiu Akinola at the 2025 Julius Berger Long Service Awards ceremony held recently.

L-R: Head, Human Resources, International, Alexandar Comford, Head, Human Resources, Olorunfemi Ojomo, Project Coordinator, Region North & Central, Engr. Dr. Amodu Ismaila and Engr Sebastian Arbeiter during the recent Julius Berger’s Long Service Awards ceremony.

Section of recipients and guests at the 2025 Julius Berger Long Service Awards held recently

Managing Director and CEO, Engr. Dr. Peer Lubasch has described the company’s workers as the reason for the company’s valuable showing in the industry even as he saluted the honourees on behalf of the Board and Management. He also emphasised that nearly 10% of the company’s employees were recognised this year, underscoring Julius Berger’s culture of loyalty and trust.

Lubasch said, our awardees come from every part of our operations, with more than half from Abuja (Region Central and North as well as the company’s Head Office) and the balance shared almost equally between the remaining regions RWE and RSE. This broad representation shows that our culture of dedication is not localised – it is company-wide.

Continuing, he said, the years of service of Awards recipients company-wide this year, confirm something very important: Julius Berger is a long-term company with a long-term workforce.

The Managing Director buttressed his take saying that,

·       Roughly one in seven awardees is celebrating 10 years,

·       More than one-third mark 15 years,

·       Nearly one-third celebrate 20 years,

·       Over 15% have reached 25 years and more, and

·       A distinguished 1% have devoted 40 to 45 years of their lives to this organisation.

These figures, he further said, do not happen by accident, adding, they show clearly that we are not a short-term company; and that our employees do not see us as one either. They stay because Julius Berger remains a strong, trustworthy, and rewarding place to build a career. Long-term loyalty of this scale is the clearest possible proof that we are a very good company; one that our people believe in.

Among those recognized were: Isah Ahmed Kaita  of AFP, 25 years, Olufemi Monday Edema, 25 years, National Chairman of JBN branch of NUCECFWW; Adeyemo T. Ayodeji, 30 years, President General of CCESSA and Ibrahim Salawu, 45 years, HR, approaching retirement.

Addressing all the awardees: your dedication strengthens our company, drives our performance, and supports our mission to build with excellence for Nigeria. You embody our values of collaboration, courage, responsibility, and excellence.

Earlier in his address, the Director, Administration, Dr. Abdulaziz Kaita, said: “this is a moment dedicated to celebrating commitment, loyalty, shared purpose in the Julius Berger family. I will not call it a company, I will say a family, because we are just like a family. At Julius Berger, we believe that our people are the most valuable assets we have and we firmly believe our people are contributing to the development of Nigeria.”

 

He further expressed his appreciation for the collaboration with CCESSA, which has yielded productivity and development for the company. He said: “I want to appreciate CCESSA because we have been working together for the development of our company and we bring cooperation and commitment to the industry. Indeed, our partnership has progressed.”

 

Dr. Kaita also acknowledged the various awards received this year, cementing Julius Berger’s place as the leading construction company in Nigeria. He noted that Julius Berger achieved an incredible turnover of 700 billion, which is more than what was recorded last year. He appreciated the Managing Director, Engr. Dr. Peer Lubasch, for his indefatigable zeal and unwavering commitment to the continued development of Julius Berger.

 

In Lagos, the Regional Manager, Mr. Thomas Christl said the annual ceremony was dedicated to honoring individuals whose loyalty and dedication have strengthened the company’s foundation over many years.

 

He expressed the national and industry- wide challenges thus; “as we reflect on the year 2025, we acknowledge that it was not without challenges. The current situation in Nigeria tested our resilience and like many, the construction industry or the JBN faced some uncertainty. Yet, compared to 2024, we made a significant stride forward. We stabilized operations, secured key projects like the Nigeria Temple in Lagos, and strengthened our position in the private market with additional projects. This progress was possible because of you, our people, who continue to give your best every single day”.

 

On the day’s event, Christl said, the company was celebrating many colleagues who have served the company for many years, adding that their experience and wisdom remain , describing them as  not just employees, but mentors, role models and custodians of our culture even as he urged all to look into the future.  He said, succession planning is critical. We need to ensure that the knowledge you have acquired over these years is transferred to the next generation. This is how we can secure the continuity and growth of JBN. And here I appeal to every one of you: look into your succession plan. Look into it. If you have juniors following you, transfer your knowledge to them and let them grow again.”

 

The company’s Regional Manager, Region South-East and South-South, Engr. Friedrich Wiesa felicitated with recipients of Long Service Awards in Uyo, challenging them to achieve more for themselves and the company. In the same vein, the Deputy Regional Manager, Region South-East and South-South, Engr. Rimon Marisho in Port Harcourt, hailed Awards recipients saying that they truly deserved the Awards, having tagged along with the company in the many years they have been in Julius Berger’s employ.