Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese Plant, has launched a multi-million naira project for its 17 host communities as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
The company made this known in a statement by Mr Anthony Chiejina, the Group Chief, Branding and Communication, Dangote Industries Ltd., on Monday in Lagos.
According to Chiejina, under the CSR activities, its empowerment programs include skill acquisition, scholarship, farming techniques training, as well as empowerment of vulnerable women.
Chiejina said that about 120 students from primary school to higher institutions filed out to receive cheques for scholarships.
He, also said that 50 vulnerable women and widows went home with grinding machines to support their household income.
Chiejina added that the company also launched its maiden issue of community newsletter to continually intimate the host communities on developments pertaining to CSR.
“In the same vein, no fewer than 60 farmers were presented to the audience as having been trained in 2022 on good agricultural practices for maize production to boost agricultural production.
“Another 30 youths are currently undergoing training on domestic electrification and installation,” he said.
Also, Mr Azad Nawabuddin, the Director, Dangote Cement Ibese Plant, said the development was a demonstration of the company’s commitment to continuously improving the relationship between the plant and its host communities in over 10 years of existence.
Nawabuddin said that the company was able to weather the challenges of 2022 and stepped up its CSR performance, because of the collaboration and understanding enjoyed from its stakeholders.
“I am delighted to state that we have stepped up our Social Performance as a Plant in 2022, in pursuit of our vision to be a world class enterprise, that is passionate about the standard of living of the people.
“Earlier in the year, we were able to renew our social contract with the host communities by signing a five-year Community Development Agreement (CDA), following extensive engagements and concessions with a wide spectrum of our community stakeholders.
“The new CDA provided an opportunity to review and improve our social performance approach in line with the Group and Global Standards, and to introduce new programs, while also enhancing the existing ones,” he said.
Nawabuddin assured the communities that the rest of infrastructure and electrical projects, which were at advance stages, would be accomplished in due course.
Responding, the Aboro of Ibeseland, Oba Rotimi Mulero, thanked the management of Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant, for their unrelenting efforts at impacting the host communities positively.
Mulero described the social performance profile of the company as very impressive, saying that it behooves on the community leaders and all the residents to reciprocate and ensure that peace reigns for the good of all for the company to do more.
“I am also enjoining them not rest on their oars. As Oliver twist, we are still asking for more because all these projects can never be too much for the people.
“Dangote Cement has done excellently well; are we to talk about the grinding machines to the vulnerable women?, the youths empowerment or the farmers training for better yields?.
“These are the programs that really touch on the economic wellbeing of our people and we are grateful for these,” he said.
Also, Oba Kayode Kusoro, the Olu of Aga Olowo, described the development as a good one.
“It afforded the people of opportunity to bond with the company’s management and compare notes on the journey so far.
“The presence of Dangote Cement in Yewa North Local Government area of Ogun has marked out the area as an industrial hub.
“This is because by virtue of the presence, other ancillary businesses are now springing up,” he said.
