James Sowole in Abeokuta
Dangote Cement Plc, yesterday, held its annual Community Day, at its Ibese Ewekoro Local Government Area Plant, Ogun State, with scholarship awards, empowerment of women, youths and farmers for indigenes of the company’s host communities.
The event, which was held within the organisation’s premises, played host to various stakeholders, including traditional rulers, government officials, youths and some staff of the company.
Addressing the gathering, the the Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant Director, Azad Nawabuddin, said the day, was set aside to celebrate the company’s accomplishments in the year and give back to its host communities for their unflinching support.
He noted that several businesses and families have been confounded with socioeconomic challenges in 2023, nevertheless, Dangote Cement is committed to improving the quality of lives of its host communities.
He said, “It is common knowledge that businesses and families across the world and in Nigeria are confounded with several socio-economic challenges in the year 2023.
“A lot has happened to test our resilience and innovation as an organisation and as a people, but with your unalloyed support, we have been able to weather the storm and remain afloat.
“The challenges notwithstanding, we are able to continue the upward trajectory in the delivery of our socio-economic development promises, in line with our commitment to improving the overall wellbeing of our people,” he said.
The Plant Director hinted that the company embarked on 23 social investment projects and revamp of 10 non-functional CSR projects across the 17 host communities.
The projects according to him, are in line with the thematic focus of the company’s social investments which is Education, Health, Infrastructure and Empowerment.
He added that the firm has so far recorded remarkable progress in the implementation of the thematic focus.
“As at today, we have completed the following: Installation of 33/0.415KV line through a 500KVA step down transformer in Imasayi.
“Construction of one Solar Powered Borehole at Abule-Oke, construction of a health centre at Ijako Orile and construction of a block of ten (10) toilets at Abule Maria.
“There’s also the construction of Perimeter fence at African Church Primary School, Onigbedu and construction of a Solar powered borehole at Araromi.
“We also revamped two boreholes with Solar Power in Balogun and another two in Afami,” Nawabuddin said.
He further said that 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 fulfillment of the pact we have with the host communities and to complement the efforts of government in improving the standard of living of the people,” he added.
The company also presented scholarship awards to 119 indigent students from 17 communities, 60 weeding machines to farmers and 50 units of chest freezers to selected vulnerable women.
Also men and women aged 50 benefitted from the maiden edition of the “Care for the Elderly” Initiative in October.
The industrial giant had also expended N20million to train 30 youths across the host communities in shoe and leather bag making by its implementing partner, Industrial Training Fund.
Nawabuddin congratulated all host community leaders and members for the value addition and urged them to be deliberate in ensuring the sustainability of all the social interventions.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with journalists commended the cement firm for the gesture promising to judiciously use all they received from Dangote Cement.
