Dangote Cement Plc, says it has committed over N4 billion into various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in its 14 host communities in Yewa land in Ogun.
The company made this known in a statement signed by the Media and Community Relations Manager of Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Francis Awowole-Browne, on Sunday.
“Since the inception of Dangote Cement in Ibese, in the last eight years of creation in Ogun, we have focused on construction and repairs of roads, building of blocks of classrooms, construction and repairs of healthcare facilities.
“We have also provided boreholes, some electricity transformers, among others,” he said.
The company itemized the projects as 40 classrooms, three health centres, 22 boreholes, three transformers totaling N4.1bn
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Among various ongoing projects were 18 classrooms, four roads, one borehole, one health center and five transformers estimated at N278m.
Mr Azad Nawabuddin, Dangote Cement Company Plant Director, said the company was willing to spend much more because it owed its continuous operations to the peaceful conduct of the communities.
Nawabuddin said the company was irrevocably committed to the training which was part of its Host Community Youths Skills Acquisition and Empowerment Programme.
He said the management of the company believed that “education is power” and this was responsible for the company’s consistent investment in the training of the youths to ensure self-reliance.
“Education is power, skill is power, and Dangote cement places a premium on education and skills acquisition; that is why we are encouraging our people to be educated,” he said.
According to the statement, the company also inaugurated the 2020 Acutherapy training for youths in the area.
He explained that the acutherapy training would last for two months and urged the beneficiaries to make the most of the training and its offers as a means of livelihood to serve as an alternate means of income.
He stated that 635 youths from the communities in various institutions across the country had benefitted from the company’s annual scholarship award while 20 youths had been sent to Dangote Academy, Obajana for various trainings.
He added that Dangote Industries had begun a rice outgrower programme in Ibese to improve youth employment, create wealth and support the government in its fight against food insecurity and deficits in balance of trade.
While assuring of the company’s commitment to continuous provision of necessary corporate social projects, he urged the people to continue to provide the enabling peaceful atmosphere so that both the company and the people could cohabit in tranquility.
In his remarks, Dr Oluwadare Kehinde, Ogun State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, commended the company for living up to its billing in the provision of social service to the people.
He said the state was particularly delighted about the Dangote Industries’ efforts to create shared value among all residents of the country, irrespective of tribe, religion and political affiliations.
“We need to commend Alhaji Aliko Dangote for all these economic interventions.
“It is crystal clear that government can not do it alone, hence, we need partnership for good governance,” the commissioner said.