Dangote Cement PLC, Ibese Plant, has awarded scholarships to 119 indigent students from its host communities in Ogun State.
The organization also empowered 60 farmers with weeding machines, 60 women with chest freezers and trained youths in shoe and leather making.
The Plant Director, Nawabuddin Azad, disclosed this on Wednesday during the 2023 Community Day celebration held at Dangote Cement Estate Ground, Ibese.
Azad said apart from series of empowerment programmes, Dangote Cement has embarked on 23 social investment projects and revamped 10 non-functional CSR projects across the 17 host communities.
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He explained that the annual empowerment for youths «is strategic to us as we see it as a way to unleash their innate potential and encourage them to focus their energy on gainful ventures.»
The plant director said 30 youths are currently undergoing training in shoe and leather bag making, while each of the trainees would be presented with key tools to enable them to start up.
“Dangote Cement’s commitment to the wellbeing and development of its people through intentional empowerment programmes remains 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 government in improving the standard of living of the people,” Azad said.
On the community projects, Azad said Dangote Cement has installed 33/0.415KV line through a 500KVA stepdown transformer in Imasayi, constructed a solar-powered borehole at Abule-Oke, health centre at Ijako Orile, a block of 10 toilets at Abule Maria and perimeter fence at African Church Primary School, Onigbedu.
He 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.