As part of effort to give to back to the communities where its cement manufacturing plants located in Ewekoro local government area of Ogun state, Lafarge Africa has spent a sum of N168 million on various community projects.
The projects cut across education, health care delivery, economic empowerment, agricultural production and elderly care support programme.
The firm distributed N100,000 bursary award each to 187 undergraduate students of various tertiary institutions; empowered 114 adults with funds and trade equipment; empowered 103 farmers with farm tools and high yielding seeds and seedlings and offered funds, foodstuffs, drugs, sanitary kits, among others, to 155 elders, all drawn from about 15 communities in Ewekoro local government area.
Speaking at 2018 Lafarge Community Day held for its host communities in Ewekoro, the Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Africa Country Chief, Michel Puchercos, declared that the socioeconomic interventions provided for one of its host communities in Ogun state were made as part of effort to support the sustained growth and development of its host communities with a view to ensuring mutually benefitted relationship between the firm and the communities it operates.
Puchercos added that Lafarge Africa is not only in Nigeria as foreign investors who have come to the country purposely of business and investment but it also comes to Nigeria to help ensure socioeconomic growth and development.
He said, “Also in a bid to improve the quality of produce from our farmlands and create more opportunities for our people to live better, agricultural support was provided to farmers while several members of the Ewekoro community also benefited from economic empowerment programmes.”
In his speech, the Baale of one of the host communities, Joshua Oniyitan (Ilufemiloye I) expressed appreciation to Lafarge Africa, describing the projects as a timely intervention.