In December, the Dangote Cement, Ibese plant had rolled out the drum in celebration of the residents of its host communities.
It served as a means of connecting the stakeholders and the management of the pan-African cement company. “Community Day” was the event’s tagline. The grand opening of multi-million Naira projects under its community empowerment programs, with beneficiaries including youths, farmers, weak women, and students in attendance, was the highlight of the celebration.
The colorful event, which has been described as unprecedented since the company berthed at Ibese, in the Yewa division of the Ogun state, did not exclude the royal fathers. The Ibese Plant management made promises to the leaders of the host communities during the signing of an enhanced Community Development Agreement (CDA) months earlier, promising them a more solid relationship through a successful partnership. The Community Day itself was a fulfillment of those promises.
In fact, Mr. Azad Nawabuddin, the director of Ibese Plant, described the occasion as a manifestation of the organization’s dedication to continually enhancing the relationship between Ibese Plant and its Host Communities.
He described the new, improved CDA as a turning point in Ibese Plant’s more than ten years of existence, with the primary goal of thanking and celebrating our key stakeholders for giving us the green light to conduct sustainable business while also assessing our impact on the year as a whole.
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The Aboro of Ibeseland, Oba Rotimi Oluwaseyi Mulero, one of the traditional leaders present on the Day, praised the management of Dangote Cement for its relentless efforts to positively impact the host communities, calling the company’s social performance profile very impressive.
He said that given what Dangote Cement has done for the community, it is incumbent upon local officials and every resident to pay it forward and maintain peace for the benefit of all so that the business can expand.
The commissioning of the solar-powered borehole in Abule Oke, in the Yewa North Local Government, and the graduation of youths who have been undergoing training under the Youths Empowerment Programme of the Company were two events that the cement plant held last week as part of its ongoing commitment to serving the communities.
The training program developed by Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese Plant as a means of transforming society and giving youths employment opportunities graduated about 30 young people from some of the host communities. In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, the empowerment program gave young people the chance to receive training in domestic electrical installation, wiring, and maintenance in order to hasten the social and economic development of host communities.
The Ibese Plant, in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund, provided the youth with training, but they were also given start-up tools to begin their careers right away after the training (ITF).
At the program’s closing ceremony, Dangote Cement’s Ibese Plant Director, Mr. Azad Nawabuddin, addressed the program’s beneficiaries and described the empowerment initiative as a sign of the company’s dedication to the ongoing socioeconomic development of the host communities in accordance with the Community Development Agreement signed in 2022.
He asserted that the company’s social development strategy does not support providing people with fish to eat but instead emphasizes teaching people how to fish and that by actively engaging the community’s members, particularly the youth, with such vigor and vigor, the company was being proactive. Instead, we encourage them to become independent and self-sufficient.
Azad listed previous Plant empowerment initiatives, such as training in catering and event management, tailoring and fashion design, and acupuncture, from which 275 homeless youth have already benefited, that were designed to close employment gaps in the neighborhood and ultimately raise living standards.
He praised the recipients for their commitment and zeal to acquire new skills in order to improve their lives and urged them to use the technical and entrepreneurial knowledge acquired during the training to create sustainable businesses. He also commended them for their commitment to continuing to advance their knowledge and abilities in line with global trends.
Dangote Cement Plc’s Ibese Plant was commended by Mrs. Funmi Coker, deputy area manager of the Industrial Training Fund’s Abeokuta Area Office, for allocating resources to help youths develop their skills in relevant trade areas so they can be useful for themselves and their immediate communities. She also commended the Company for its ongoing cooperation in achieving the nation’s training goals and urged other corporate entities to do the same.
The annual empowerment initiative of the company was praised by Mr. Dayo Ogunyinka, vice chairman of the Community Joint Consultative Committee. He urged the recipients to view the gift as a chance to transform their lives and propel them to the pinnacle of success, and he urged them to use the starter kits they had been given for their intended use.
Ms. Elegbede Ganiyat, a beneficiary from the Iboro host community, thanked Dangote Cement for believing it was worthwhile to invest in the youths’ development and said the training was an enriching and life-changing experience. She gave the assurance that the recipients have been adequately prepared to carve out a niche for themselves in the local and national markets for electrical services.
At a ceremony attended by the Olu of Imasayi, Oba Lukman Kuoye; the Baale of Abule Oke, Chief Ramoni Akinsanya; other community leaders, youths, women, and other locals, the Cement Company gave a multi-million naira solar-powered bore hole to the residents of Abule-Oke, the host community.
The Plant Director, Mr. Azad Nawabuddin, spoke during the hand-over and emphasized the importance of water to human survival. He also gave the community advice on how to make the most of the borehole facility and set up a framework to ensure its security, maintenance, and sustenance as their equity contribution to the project.
The Olu of Imasayi praised Dangote Cement management for being the lighthouse that illuminates all of Yewaland and acknowledged the company’s dedication to raising the standard of living in its host communities.
He urged the residents of Abule Oke to make sure the borehole facility is maintained so that future generations can profit from the project, as only the facility’s wise use will inspire the company to make additional investments in community infrastructure improvements.
The youth leader, Mr. Rafiu Akinola, said that the intervention was timely and value-adding, especially given the fact that it is powered by solar, saving the community the cost of fuel and maintenance of a generator. The people of Abule Oke were extremely grateful to the company for providing the water facility.
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Nigeria is the home market for Dangote Cement, which began producing cement there in 2007. In order to meet the rising demand for cement in West Africa and Nigeria, it currently operates three fully integrated cement plants totaling 32.3 Mta in Obajana, Ibese, and Gboko.
Its 12.0Mta Ibese Cement Plant in Ogun State supplies cement for import into nearby West African nations as well as Lagos, the expanding South-West market. The plant, which had a 2012 commissioning capacity of 6.0Mta, had its size doubled by late 2014.
