Kogi: As part of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festivities, the Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana, has taken significant steps to reinforce its partnerships with government authorities and host communities in Kogi. The Plant Director, Nawabuddin Azad, said the company was scaling up its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts around its catchment areas to deepen these relationships. Azad made this disclosure when he visited the Chairman of Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, Abdullahi Adamu.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Plant Director stated that the company has executed several social projects as stipulated in the mutually agreed Community Development Agreement (CDA), adding that the company was sustaining the tempo. He expressed the company’s desire to deepen its collaboration with the Local and State Government to enable it to sustain its job creation efforts and infrastructural development in the State. “Our strategy focuses on creating sustainable livelihoods, while addressing the unique needs of each host community,” Azad said. He commended the chairman for his interventions and for ensuring peace in the company’s catchment areas.
In response, Adamu described the Dangote Cement Plc at Obajana as a national treasure that must be protected through collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, particularly the host communities. He urged these communities to be peaceful and law-abiding. Meanwhile, Azad also paid a courtesy visit to Apata and Obajana Plant Communities, thanking the traditional rulers for their sustained support to the company and highlighting the mutual benefits of their relationship.
The Olu of Apata, Oba Fredrick Balogun, praised the Plant Director for his foresightedness and support. Similarly, the Bajana of Obajana, Idowu Isenibi, thanked Azad for his numerous supports and pledged that his community would continue to be the Ambassador of Dangote Cement. A company statement noted several social programmes have been executed in recent years, including the construction of a multimillion Naira hospital at Iwaa, women empowerment programmes, scholarship schemes, and other community development initiatives.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Obajana plant is the largest cement factory in Sub-Saharan Africa, remaining a cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrialisation.
