By Yetunde Fatungase
Dangote Cement Plc., Ibese, Ogun, inaugurated a health centre and seven other projects at its host communities in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun on Wednesday.
The Plant Director, Mr Azad Nawabuddin, handed over the projects to the communities at the company’s annual Community Day celebrations at Ibese.
He said the day was set aside to celebrate the company’s accomplishments in 2023 and to give back to the host communities for their unflinching support.
He noted that several businesses and families had been confronted with socioeconomic challenges, but the company was committed to improving the quality of lives in its host communities.
“It is common knowledge that businesses and families across the world and in Nigeria are confounded with several socio-economic challenges in the year 2023.
“A lot has happened to test our resilience and innovation as an organisation and as a people, but with your unalloyed support, we have been able to weather the storm and remain afloat.
“The challenges, notwithstanding, we are able to continue the upward trajectory in the delivery of our socioeconomic development promises in line with our commitment to improving the overall wellbeing of our people,’’ he said.
Nawabuddin said Dangote Cement embarked on 23 social investment projects and revamped of 10 non-functional Corporate Social Responsibility projects in the 17 host communities.
This, he added, was in line with the thematic focus of the company’s social investments which were on education, health, infrastructure and empowerment.
He added that the firm had recorded remarkable progress in the implementation of its community development projects.
“We have completed the installation of a 33/0.415kv electricity transmission line through a 500kva step-down transformer in Imasayi.
“We have drilled a solar-powered borehole at Abule-Oke; constructed a health centre at Ijoko-Orile and a block of 10 toilets at Abule Maria.
“There’s also the construction of perimeter fence at African Church Primary School, Onigbedu and the drilling of a solar-powered borehole at Araromi.
“We also revamped two boreholes with solar power at Balogun and Afami communities,’’ Nawabuddin said.
He added that Dangote Cement was unwavering in its commitment to the wellbeing and development of its people through intentional empowerment programmes.
“We have continued to get better in fulfilling our pact with host communities to complement government’s efforts at improving the standard of living of the people,” he added.
The company gave scholarships to 119 students of its 17 host communities; 60 weeding machines to farmers and 50 units of chest freezers to selected vulnerable women.
Fifty aged men and women in the communities had earlier benefitted from the company’s maiden edition of “Care for the Elderly’’ initiative in October.
The company also spent N20million to train 30 youths in the host communities in leather works with the Industrial Training Fund as the implementing partner.
Nawabuddin congratulated all host community leaders and members for their value addition and urged them to be deliberate in ensuring the sustainability of all the social interventions.
Some of the beneficiaries commended the cement firm for the gesture and promised to use all they received judiciously.
Traditional rulers from the host communities and officials of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments graced the occasion. (NAN)
Edited by Alli Hakeem
