Dangote Cement hosts community day celebration, awards N15.7m scholarships

By Adejoke Adeleye/ Ogun

Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese Plant, in Yewa North Local government of Ogun State on Wednesday hosted its 4th Annual Community Day Celebration, themed “Sustaining Growth, Strengthening Bonds”.

The event brought together stakeholders, including government officials, traditional leaders, community representatives, and beneficiaries of the company’s social investments.

In his welcome address, Ag. Plant Director, Mr. Anuj Gupta, expressed gratitude to the attendees and highlighted the company’s commitment to community development.

Gupta thanked the Ogun State Government and community leaders for their support, reaffirming Dangote Cement’s commitment to contributing to the growth and development of the communities.

The event featured presentations, cultural performances, and the distribution of starter packs to beneficiaries of the company’s empowerment programs.

Speaking at the event, the Plant Director, Mr. Ayyagari Subbaraidu, represented by the Chief General Manager, Maintenance, Mr. Hemant Dave, said the Community Day had become a strategic platform for stakeholder engagement and review of the company’s social impact.

“This occasion reflects our deliberate and continuous effort to broaden stakeholder engagement and deepen community participation,” he said.

“Community Day has become a strategic feature that provides a platform to reflect on our social stewardship with a comprehensive account of our corporate social investments. It is the Dangote Way a commitment that goes beyond producing quality cement to embracing care, inclusion and partnership with our host communities.”

He also appreciated the Ogun State Government, customers, vendors and other stakeholders for their continued support and cooperation.

Presenting the 2025 Social Investment Scorecard, the Head of Social Performance of the company, Mr. Ademola Ojolowo disclosed that the company has completed Social investment includes:13 completed projects in education, health, infrastructure, and empowerment, 10 ongoing projects, with 5 exceeding 90% completion,3 projects at procurement stage,Skill acquisition programs for 30 youths in POP, Screeding, and Painting, Scholarships awarded to 117 indigent and brilliant students, Healthcare initiatives, including medical screenings and provision of wheelchairs to PWDs.

The company’s social investments include skill acquisition programs, scholarships, healthcare initiatives, and infrastructure development, benefiting host communities.

According to him, the projects cut across skill acquisition and youth empowerment, women empowerment programmes, farmer support initiatives, health sensitization, construction of public infrastructure and installation of solar inverter systems.

“The social investment scorecard reflects steady progress in empowerment, education, health and infrastructure,” Ojolowo said.

“As a responsible corporate organisation operating in mining and manufacturing, we remain committed under the Community Development Agreement to complement government efforts by delivering social and economic benefits to our host communities.”

As part of its education support, Dangote Cement announced a N15,720,000 scholarship award for 120 students from its 17 host communities, comprising 100 undergraduates and 20 primary and secondary school pupils.

In addition, 25 youths received laptops under the company’s digital training and ICT empowerment programme, while 60 women were empowered with corn milling machines to enhance their economic activities.

In his goodwill message, the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, commended Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant, for its “steady support and commitment to community development,” but urged the company to further improve safety and environmental conditions in the area.

“I appreciate Dangote Cement for its corporate social responsibilities, but issues such as indiscriminate parking by some truck drivers on major roads must be addressed to prevent accidents,” he said.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Community Development, Hon. Ademola Balogun, the Chairman of Yewa North Local Government, Dr. Olusola Akinbode, and the Aboro of Ibeseland, Oba Rotimi Mulero, urged beneficiaries to utilise the empowerment tools effectively and challenged the company to sustain and expand its infrastructure investments.

Oba Mulero thanked the company for creating employment opportunities for indigenes but appealed for better placement of qualified community members.

“We appreciate Dangote Cement for creating jobs for our people, but we urge management to place deserving indigenes in roles that match their qualifications,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Women Leader of Ijako-Orile, Princess Sherifat Akintunde, expressed gratitude for the empowerment programme.

“Before now, women struggled to grind their farm produce to make ends meet. This empowerment will greatly improve our livelihoods,” she said, while commending the company for what she described as massive development in Ibese and neighbouring communities.

The event climaxed with the presentation of laptops and other gadgets to ICT beneficiaries, alongside cultural displays and interactive sessions between the company and community stakeholders.

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