Mr Anthony Chiejina, Group Head, Branding and Communication, Dangote Industries Ltd., said a report to gauge the Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) initiatives in Kogi confirmed that it enjoyed robust relations with its host communities.
He said the CRS interventions were part of the Group’s recently signed workable Community Development Agreement (CDA).
He said the Group recently completed a multi-million naira health facility at Iwaa community, and that it also completed the multi-billion naira longest concrete road in Nigeria between Obajana and Kabba.
“The contributions of the company to the development of the state are too numerous to list; ranging from job opportunities to support in health sector, road infrastructure, education, financial empowerment, and rural electrification.
“It will be recalled that during the 2012 flood, the company had contributed N430 million.
“These interventions have really supported both the state and the Federal Government in the areas of health and road infrastructure.
“The Group is also building a multi-million naira skill acquisition centre in Lokoja, which when completed, would provide the requisite skills and thus empower the youth to be more productive and contribute to the economic development of the state,” he said.
He added that other areas of intervention by the company in the communities are: the construction of numerous boreholes, granting of yearly scholarship, electric power supply to communities and employment opportunities.
Others, he said, included building of schools, library construction, supply of modern furniture to schools and rehabilitation of internal roads.
The statement also said some residents lauded the Obajana-Kabba concrete road for easing mobility, describing it as the most important road in the state.
Chairman, Okun Area Traditional Council and the Obaro of Kabba, Solomon Owoniyi, said the 43 kilometers concrete road had elevated the status of his people in Nigeria.
According to him, “Without this road, Okun people would have been completely shut out of the state capital, Lokoja, and we are most grateful for the road.”
The statement said as part of its CRS drive in Kogi, Dangote Cement Plc had doled out several millions of naira to cooperative groups in the four communities.
It added that the company supported the state in building magistrate courts and judges residences in the state; donated tricycles to its host communities to enhance their capacity to connect each other with less stress.
According to the statement, the beneficiary communities are: Obajana, Apata, Iwaa and Oyo
