DANGOTE CEMENT IBESE HONOURS SENIOR CITIZENS IN HOST COMMUNITIES

BY ABU-SATAR HAMED

IBESE-YEWA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA – Dangote Cement Plc., Africa’s leading cement producer, has reaffirmed its dedication to promoting community welfare through sustained social investment initiatives across its host communities in Nigeria and beyond.

This commitment was emphasized by the Head of Dangote Cement Plc., Ibese Plant, Mr. Ayyagari Subbaraidu, during a special event themed “A Day Out with Senior Citizens.”

The programme, held at the plant premises in Ibese, Ogun State, brought together elders and persons with disabilities from its 17 host communities.

Over the last three years, Dangote Cement, Ibese, has consistently demonstrated its support for community development through several impactful interventions. This continued dedication has earned the company commendation from the Ogun State Government for its unwavering efforts toward enhancing the well-being of residents in its host communities.

The Plant Director said the initiative was meant to enhance the emotional, social, and physical well-being of the elderly in the communities, adding that the programme now in its third year, addressed some of the challenges many elders face, including loneliness and limited social interaction, by providing a supportive environment for relaxation, connection, and free medical screenings.
Said he: “This annual event is specially curated to improve the social and emotional well-being of our senior citizens while offering essential medical checks and take-home items to support their quality of life.”

He explained that while ageing is a blessing, many elders experience loneliness and limited interaction, noting that the outreach served as a platform for relaxation, bonding, and access to free health checks.

Subbaraidu also disclosed that alongside the outreach, Dangote Cement identified six individuals living with disabilities who received wheelchairs to support their movement and daily activities.
“With this year’s edition, we have now reached 150 elders and 11 persons with disabilities underscoring the company’s commitment to recognizing and uplifting vulnerable groups within our host communities. Our goal is to put smiles on the faces of our senior citizens in recognition of their contributions to society,” he stated.

Some of the items distributed to the beneficiaries include: rechargeable lamp, cardigan, dual-power transistor radio (battery-operated and rechargeable), adire, double layer thermal insulator water flask, beverages and milk, tea bag, disinfectant, compressor socks, jumbo shear butter cream, packs of bathing soap, detergent, Dangote rice, Semovita, cash incentive and take-home bag.

Mr. Subbaraidu assured all stakeholders that Dangote Cement Ibese would continue to strengthen interventions in health, education, infrastructure, and empowerment in line with its Community Development Agreement adding, “We remain committed to supporting community growth through initiatives that promote peace, progress, and shared prosperity.”

He thanked Ogun State government, partners, and community leaders for their partnership and collaboration which he said had provided the peaceful atmosphere prevailing in the communities.

Subbaraidu noted that this year’s edition was organized in collaboration with Ore Ofe Clinic, Ilaro, a trusted healthcare provider in Dangote Cement’s HMO network, to ensure comprehensive health screening for all beneficiaries.

The Ogun State government, represented by Hon. Araba Adebukunola, Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Affairs, lauded Dangote Cement for its unwavering commitment to the well-being of the community, describing the initiative as a model for corporate social responsibility in the region.

The Special Assistant to the Governor praised Dangote Cement for its consistent commitment to community well-being noting that the outreach aligns with the state government’s vision to promote holistic welfare for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups.

Pointing out that the programme complemented ongoing social inclusion efforts of the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Hon. Adebukunola highlighted several initiatives of the Ogun State Government, including the Women Economic Empowerment Policy, the Nigerian for Women Project, skills acquisition programmes, gender-based violence response systems, and child protection services as some of the state government programmes design to socially aid the people of the state.

She described Dangote’s Day Out with Senior Citizens as “timely, impactful, and deeply aligned” with the state’s mission of supporting citizens across all life stages, while reaffirming the ministry’s willingness to collaborate with organisations advancing community wellness.

Also Speaking, chairman of Yewa North Local Government, Olusola Akinbode, commended the management of Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant, stressing that the unrelenting efforts of the organisation in ensuring that everyone was catered to in and around the host communities was no mean feat.

An emotional Banji Bamidele, a person with disability and one of the six recipients of the wheelchairs, thanked the management for their kind gift, adding that in his 30 years of being physically challenged and crawling from end to end, “this is the first time I will have the opportunity of riding on a wheelchair, which puts an end to over 30 years of crawling. I thank Dangote Cement for this priceless gift.”