No fewer than 245 youths from Dangote Cement Ibese Plant’s 16 host communities have been trained and empowered till date in different skills since the commencement of operations in Ibese with a significant impact on the local economy.
Gatekeepers News reports that disclosure which was made by the Plant’s Director, Azad Nawabuddin came just as the Ogun state government commended the organization for the economic value it has been adding to the people and government of the state.
The Ibese plant Director, who spoke during the distribution of started packs for 30 trainees at the end of a three-month intensive tailoring and fashion designing training for youths from its host communities in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in Ibese, said the training was in furtherance of the company’s Community Youth Empowerment programme designed to improve the economy of the local communities by making the able youths self-employed.
According to Nawabuddin, the successful completion of the training programme marked another milestone in the journey of community investment by Dangote Cement Plc. with the cardinal objective of contributing towards the long term improvement of the local communities by delivering and sustaining value to them.
He said “the thirty beneficiaries have joined the league of self-employed in our locality. This carefully selected male and female entrepreneurs have undergone intensive training in Tailoring and Fashion designing for three months, under the tutelage of the Industrial Training Fund and are receiving their certificates and startup packs, and by extension, their means of livelihood.
According to him; “this empowerment programme is another demonstration of the commitment of Dangote Cement Plc. Ibese Plant, to improve the social-economic condition of the neighbouring communities. We are committed to the continuous implementation of impactful social investments that will eradicate poverty and improve the standard of living in our host communities.”
The Plant Director explained that the Dangote Cement, Ibese has carefully designed its youth empowerment scheme, knowing fully that Government and the private sector alone cannot meet fully the employment expectations of the youths, especially in a densely populated and youth dominated country like Nigeria.
“The most plausible alternative, therefore, is for the youths to acquire adequate skills in various trades to become entrepreneurs and self-dependent. This programme is therefore timely and most auspicious as its intended impact cannot be overemphasized.”, he added.
Dangote Cement boss recalled that so far 245 youths from the Ibese Plant’s host communities have been trained and empowered in different skills since the commencement of operations in Ibese with significant impact on the local economy.
