Dangote Cement Plc has expressed commitment to maintaining its partnership with host communities and relevant stakeholders to create enabling environment for sustainable peace and mutual growth of communities within its areas of operations.
This is as the Dangote Coal Mines Limited disbursed scholarship funds to members of host communities in Benue and Kogi States.
In the same token, the Dangote Cement Plant in Gboko also disbursed scholarship funds to host communities in Benue State.
The exercise is part of the company’s annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme for host communities, and it has been running for upward a decade.
This is coming barely one year into coal mining operation at Effeche Akpalli in Ugbokolo Ward of Okpokwu Local Government of Benue State.
In Ankpa, Kogi State, scholarship fund was also distributed to members of the coal communities.
Plant director, Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant, Mr. Hazard Nawabuddin who gave the assurance, said the company would continue to strengthen its relationship with the communities through purposeful social investments focused on socioeconomic development, job creation, job training, education, health and more.
He was speaking through the Plant’s head of Admin and Human Asset Development, Mr. Abu Sufyan during the opening of a workshop with the themed ‘Effective Community and Corporate Relationship Management Skills’ organised by Ibese plant for Host Communities’ representatives and stakeholders in Yewa North and Ewekoro Local Government Areas(LGA) of Ogun state.
According to him, the workshop is an integral part of the institution building and local content development drive of the cement company’s Social Performance, as a socially responsible corporate entity, adding that, it will also increase stakeholders’ awareness on roles, responsibilities and expectations towards achieving societal and corporate co-existence.
“The skills that will be imparted at the workshop will be helpful not only in the discharge of duties as community representatives, but also in the personal and business lives of the participants. Hence, I implore you all to see this as an opportunity for self-development and a deliberate investment in your growth and well-being by the Company,” he stated.
Nawabuddin expressed hope that at the end of the workshop, the participants would have been imbued with an enhanced vigour for renewed partnership as everyone would have been better equipped with the expectations, roles and responsibilities of all parties.
He said: “ultimately, there should be reduced grievances, and elimination of social incidences, protests/crisis, which will create enabling environment for sustainable peace and mutual growth.”
The Plant director then encouraged participants to cascade the knowledge from the session to other members of their communities and organisations for better understanding and appreciation of roles as such will also galvanise support from the remaining members of the community.
Community representative participants who spoke on their expectation from the workshop said the programme would help in giving them fresh perspectives on their roles as representatives and strengthen their capacity to negotiate with the Company and boost the cordial relationship with the company management.
In 2022, Group President of the Dangote Industries Limited Aliko Dangote had announced series of scholarship schemes for communities hosting the Dangote Sugar Refinery in Numan, Adamawa State.
In Benue, ten members of the Effeche community who are currently studying in higher institutions of learning benefitted from the fund.
The company’s contribution to the educational development in Nigeria has been described as immeasurable having constructed multimillion naira edifices and hostels in some selected universities in the country.
The company is adjudged to be Africa’s largest donor, and second biggest employer of labour, after government in Nigeria.
The Head of Dangote’s mining operation in Benue, Mr. Dillip Taman, said the scholarship was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility of the company, adding that the company takes the plights of the host communities very seriously.
He said the company is kick-starting several other projects contained in the Community Development Agreement.
The chairperson of the Okpokwu Local Government Amina Audu, who was represented by the Leader of the Legislative Council, urged the beneficiaries to use the money efficiently, while urging the company not to relent in the annual scholarship scheme.
A community leader Chief Samuel Ameh said the community was desirous of ensuring a smooth operational turf for the company, saying a peaceful coexistence was a major prerequisite for profitability and community development.
