The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akinolu, has commended Dangote Group on its youths empowerment programme within the host communities.
Akiolu made the commendation on Wednesday at the official flag off of the capacity building programme for 200 youths in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State.
The monarch said Dangote Group was one of the few indigenous companies that had impacted their host communities, even before commencement of operations.
He prayed for the successful completion of he Dangote Refineries so that Lagosians as a whole, could be beneficiaries.
Akinolu also urged youths to put in their best in the programme by concentrating on what they were being thought.
”You have to be very hardworking, because Dangote is giving you forever and ever lasting skills.
”This is an ever lasting legacy, which has not been done anywhere, the people will benefit tremendeously,” the Oba said.
He also urged leaders of the host communities to encourage their people to support Dangote’s programme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dangote Industries Ltd., commenced a six-month vocational training for youths of Ibeju-Lekki on human capital development in various marketable skills.
The Group Executive Director, Dangote Industries Ltd., Mr Devakumar Edwin, said that the project was designed to equip young men and women with trade skills.
NAN also reports that the programme was organised by Dangote Petroleum Refinery Petrochemicals and facilitated by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
According to Edwin, the company’s focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects are centered on the development and well-being of the people, especially its host communities.
”We have executed several projects that are enhancing the lives of the people.
”We have also provided boreholes for all the communities, classrooms for the local schools, and we just awarded scholarships to 51 secondary school students.
”This programme is another level of our intervention as it is targeted at providing vocational skills to the teeming youth population in our host communities.
”Youths are veritable assets in any society and the quality of youths determines the outlook of tomorrow’s society.
”Therefore, an investment in developing vocational skills among youths will yield the desired results.
”The training, to be conducted by the National Directorate of Employment, is meant to prepare youths with vocational skills that will eventually make them employable or self-employed.
”We have deliberately targeted vocational skills such as plumbing, masonry, welding, iron bending, auto mechanics and electrical works because of the instant value addition to their lives and communities.
”Our aim in training these 200 youths is in line with Chinese maxim, ‘give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
The Dangote director said that the 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery would become the world’s largest single train refinery on completion.
Edwin also said that the trainees would be given allowance during the course of their training within six months, while those who excel would be employed.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Simbi Wabote, represented by Mr Frank lbi, Manager, Gas and Refinery, commended Dangote for the landmark initiative toward empowering youths of their host communities.
Wabote said the board would also support in the human capital development, adding that the beneficiaries would be engaged after completion of their training.
He urged the trainees to be more dedicated, focussed and committed to the programme.
”We are confident that you will do well and be employable with the involvement of the NDE.
”We commend Dangote for the gigantic project in the community; this is a litmus test for bringing local content development to youths of this community,” he said.
One of the trainees, Mr Yesiru Sanni, a mechanic, commended Dangote for the opportunity given to the younger generation in Ibeju-Lekki community.
Sanni urged Dangote Group to assist the community with library and school to encourage youths to learn. (NAN)