Dangote Cement Plc has provided educational grants, farming support and business assistance to beneficiaries in Jakura community, Kogi State, under its Community Development Agreement.
The empowerment programme was designed to support education, improve agricultural productivity and strengthen small businesses in the host community.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the Plant Director of Dangote Cement’s Obajana Plant, Engr. Azad Nawabuddin, said the initiative reflected the company’s commitment to sustainable development and poverty reduction.
Nawabuddin, who was represented by the Head of Social Performance, Prince Ademola Adeyemi, said the intervention was intended to improve livelihoods and promote economic opportunities in the community.
He said students in tertiary and secondary institutions received educational grants worth several millions of naira.
The company also provided farming implements and financial assistance to farmers, alongside start-up capital and business support for market women.
According to the company, the initiative was implemented under the Community Development Agreement with the host community.
The ceremony attracted traditional rulers, government officials, community leaders and representatives of youth and women’s groups.
Among those present was the Obaro of Jakura, Oba Usman Adoga Ajibola, alongside Chief K.A. Mahmood, who represented the Olu of Oworo and was identified as the Obalumema of Oworo Land.
Officials of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Kogi State Ministry of Solid Minerals and Natural Resources also attended the event.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Jakura Community Development Agreement Committee, Chief Bonibade Ajiboye, thanked the company for fulfilling its commitments to the community.
Ajiboye said the community’s electrification project was nearing completion despite security challenges.
He did not provide further details on the nature of the challenges or the expected completion date of the project.
In his remarks, Oba Ajibola expressed appreciation for the mineral resources in Jakura and commended Alhaji Aliko Dangote for investing in the area.
The traditional ruler said the empowerment programme demonstrated the company’s efforts to support the welfare of its host communities.
He urged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the assistance provided and prayed for continued blessings on Dangote for his contributions to humanity.
The Community Development Agreement provides the framework for the company’s development commitments to the host community, including interventions intended to support livelihoods and improve local welfare.
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