Dangote Cement Offers 115 Students Of Host Communities Scholarship Awards, Trains Youths For Skill Acquisition

IBESE-YEWA – In continuation of its yearly Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Dangote Cement, Ibese-Yewa, Ogun State plant, recently distributed multi-million Naira educational scholarships to students of its 15 host community in tertiary institutions across the country.

No fewer than 115 students in various institutions received cheques for their scholarships in the annual scholarship award programme, while 30 others commenced skill acquisition training in Tailoring and Fashion designing which was coordinated by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

In his speech at the opening of the empowerment training programme, the Plant Director, Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant, Mr. Azad Nawabuddin disclosed that the company has made a lot of contributions to the socio-economic development of its host communities in the areas of health, education, infrastructure and Youth Empowerment Scheme which is a key component of Dangote’s CSR.

Nawabuddin noted that, Dangote Cement is committed to building the capacity of the people and institutions in the communities, particularly the youths by identifying skill gaps and partnering to enhance their skills with view to make them self-reliant.

His words, “215 youths across the 15 host communities which constitute Dangote’s key stakeholders have so far been trained and empowered in different skills since the commencement of our operations in Ibese, with significant impact on the local economy.

“Our partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) started in 2019 with the training and empowerment of 15 youths from the host communities on Catering and Event Management, while 50 youths benefitted from the scheme in the specialised area of Acutherapy (Alternative Medicine) in 2020. Today, we are gathered to declare open, the 2021 training and empowerment programme on Tailoring and Fashion Designing for 30 youths who have been carefully selected from our host communities.”

The Dangote Cement Ibese-Yewa plant boss further stated that the commencement of the training coincided with the flag-off of the 2021 Dangote Sustainability Week in Ibese Plant, with the theme: “Building a Sustainable Future – The Dangote Way”, saying, “the sustainability activity is an employee volunteering programme, and I am pleased to announce that the focus for this year is also our local communities. All these are evidence of our passion for the standard of living and well-being of our stakeholders.”

Nawabuddin however urged the beneficiaries of the training programme to make very good use of the opportunity by paying rapt attention during training and ask questions from their facilitators whenever in doubt.

“Apart from reciprocating the good gesture of Dangote by ensuring peace at all times and keeping an open and trusting mind towards the organisation, we also desire from our community leaders and representatives who are present here, the ownership of all Social Investment programme, be it training or infrastructure because they are meant for the betterment of your people”, the Dangote Cement, Ibese boss posited.

In his own speech, the Area Manager, ITF, Ogun State, Mrs. Funmi Coker, commended Dangote Cement Plc for the gesture to train the youths, promising that the beneficiaries would get the best of training in Tailoring and Fashion Designing which would serve as source of livelihood for them.

Mrs. Coker noted that in line with the ITF strategy, the trainees would not just be trained and be left alone, “they are going to get necessary materials for startup after the completion of training. We are going to training them for three months and each of them will get a startup pack, after the training, we are going to give them sewing machine.”

She said the year 2021 has been declared as a “Year of Skill Escalation for Prosperity”, because the ITF management has realised that accelerated skill acquisition is the only way to stem the rampant unemployment, especially among the youths, because skill acquisition will alleviate poverty, youth restiveness, create jobs and wealth in the country’s economy.

The Ogun ITF boss commended the management and staff of Dangote Cement Plc for their efforts by keying into the programme towards the development of its immediate community.

She however urged other corporate organisations to emulate the good gesture of Dangote Cement in its quest to give the host communities a lead of life.

Expressing the happiness of host communities with Dangote Cement, Ibese plant, in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Vice-Chairman of Ewekoro Local Government, Mr. Olabode Sunkanmi thanked the management of Dangote Cement for the empowerment programme, saying the gesture would go a long way to sustain the youths and reduce unemployment