Murilo Silva, MD Transport with Dangote Cement, shares his strategy, leadership lessons, and priorities at the largest cement producer in Sub-Saharan Africa.
When you first stepped into your role, what was your vision?
It was clear that I should not judge before understanding the challenges and the culture of both the company and the country. I was positively impressed by how straightforwardly the company conducted its business and by how hardworking everyone was. At the same time, nothing gets done without proper follow-up.
As I took a deep dive into the business, I built important connections with my team and with colleagues in the field where the real work happens.
With the support of my leader, the first step was to define and align the pillars for transforming Transport at Dangote Cement Nigeria.
What were some of the initial, biggest challenges you faced?
There is no doubt about this one. It was the lack of consistent and reliable data in this part of the business. Conflicting information led decision-making rather than fact-based insights.
Talk me through your initial priorities
The first priority was to create the right environment to tackle the most important issues:
- Establish one single, reliable source of truth. Ensure that key reports are accurate and shared.
- Bring the right team on board. Once the new organisational structure was approved, recruitment and selection began. This took considerable time but was essential.
- Focus on a maximum of three priorities with meaningful actions. Keeping distractions to the side is the only way to avoid the temptation of trying to ‘boil the ocean’
Who or what has most influenced your approach to making an impact?
One of the things I am most proud of this first year is that we were able to significantly review salaries and the compensation scheme for all drivers, a population of about 7,000 employees.
Inequality is widespread in developing countries. Contributing to reducing it while aligning individual goals with the company’s strategic targets has been deeply fulfilling.
What advice would you give to emerging leaders who want to make a meaningful difference?
Be bold but take one step at a time. Keep things simple.
What keeps you inspired to continue driving positive change?
There is an African saying that I live by: if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Visit: Dangote Cement
December 2025
