Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese, Ogun State has empowered no fewer than 269 people drawn from its 17 host communities in Yewa North and Ewekoro local government areas of the State, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility. (CSR).
Handing over the empowerment tools to the beneficiaries during the 2023 Community Day Celebration, Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese Plant Manager, Mr Azad Nawabuddin, reiterated the company's commitment to the wellbeing and development of the people of its host communities through intentional empowerment programmes that are pivotal to enhancing the socio-economic development of the country.
The gesture included presentation of N10.6million scholarships to 119 brilliant indigent students of tertiary institutions, presentation of chest freezers to 50 women to boost their trade while 60 farmers who had been trained on modern farming practice were given weeding machines to boost their farming enterprises.
30 youths from the host communities were also trained in shoe and bag leather works to the tune of over N20m while each of them will also be supported with various tools to set up a workshop of their own at the end of their training.
Nawabuddin said "Dangote Cement’s commitment to the wellbeing and development of its people through intentional empowerment programs remain unwavering.
"We have continued to get better in this stride, in fulfilment of the pact we have with the host communities and to complement the efforts of the government in improving the standard of living of the people.
"This year, we recorded another first with the maiden edition of the ‘Care for the Elderly’ program held in October, which had fifty aged men and women from the host communities as beneficiaries.
"Today, there will be presentation of scholarship awards to 119 indigent and brilliant students, as well as sixty weeding machines to empower and boost harvest for farmers in the coming years.
"As usual, the women fold is well covered, as we are also making fifty units of chest freezers available to identified vulnerable women to start up or scale their businesses
"Annual empowerment for Youths is strategic to us as we see it as way to unleash their innate potential and encourage them to focus their energy on gainful ventures.
"This year, thirty youths across the host communities are currently being trained on shoe and leather bag making by our implementing partner, Industrial Training Fund. DCPI has invested over twenty million Naira as total training cost, at the end of which, each trainee would be presented with key tools to enable them start up immediately".
He listed some of the projects to have been completed in the host communities to include
installation of 33/0.415KV line through a 500KVA step down transformer in Imasayi, construction of seven solar powered boreholes at Abule-Oke, Araromi, Balogun and Afami communities, construction of a Health Centre at Ijako Orile, construction of a block of ten toilets at Abule Maria, onstruction of Perimeter fence at African Church Primary School, Onigbedu among others.
While congratulating all the host community leaders and members for the value addition to the company, he urged them to be deliberate in ensuring the sustainability of all the social interventions.
"We need to join hands to develop a framework to monitor the projects and its maintenance, and progress of beneficiaries of the empowerment initiatives for maximum value creation".
"Let me assure you that our resolve to continue to contribute to the development of host communities, in line with the Community Development Agreement, remains unshaken, while we hope that you would continue to reciprocate by supporting our operations. Our desire is an unblemished relationship between the communities and our Plant".
The traditional ruler of Ibese, Oba Oluseyi Mulero who spoke on behalf of other royal fathers urged the company to remain committed to pursuing projects that will continue to impact on the well-being of the people of their host communities.
Oba Mulero assured that the host communities will continue to also ensure that their is stronger ties and bond with the company while also assisting the company to continue to flourish in the area.
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