Dangote cement expends N3.4m on tuitions for indigent students in Ogun

Dangote Cement Plant, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, located at Ibese in Yewa North Local Government area of Ogun state has expended a sum of N3.4 million as tuition fees for 49 indigent students drawn from 15 host communities of Dangote Cement Plant as part of 2014 and 2015 Corporate Social Responsibility of the cement company.

The payment of students’ tuitions for categories of students from universities, polytechnics and secondary schools across the six Southwest states was undertaken by Dangote cement in addition to the construction of a block of four classrooms at Agaolowo; construction of 10 bathrooms and toilets at Balogun; construction of 25-km Ibese-Itori road, among others.

Speaking at the presentation of N3.4 million cheques to 39 tertiary institutions students and 10 secondary schools pupils at Dangote Cement Plant at Ibese on Friday, Louis Raj, Plant Director, said the awards of bursaries of N75,000 each to 39 indigent students, and N50,000 each to 10 pupils from secondary schools, was in accordance with Dangote’s commitment to education development.

Raj noted that array of projects undertaken under 2014/2015 Dangote Cement’s Corporate Social Responsibility, especially the presentation of bursary awards to students, was done to appreciate the efforts of the communities that host Dangote Plants I, II, III and IV at Ibese towards maintaining peace and harmonious co-existence of Dangote workers and people at various communities.

Also speaking at the event, Fola Alli, Group General Manager, Human Resources, Dangote Group, urged the students to be serious with their studies and should not take Dangote’s education sponsorship for granted, saying: “We will want them (students) to do all they can to excel in their various fields of studies.

“That is when the organisation will know that the money spent on their education is not wasted and the organisation is getting value for the money.”
Responding on behalf of the communities, Gbadebo Oni, the Olu of Imasayi noted that there was an improvement in the 2014/2015 Dangote Cement’s CSR when compared to that of last year, adding that “Dangote believes in Nigeria that if all our resources are put together, Nigeria will be better.

“Well Dangote is a giant, he is everywhere in Africa. He has Cement plants in 14 African countries. We appreciate him; we love him and thank him. We want him to do more here because he has affected the lives of our people for good. We have many Nigerians who could not do that. Let’s imbibe the spirit of selflessness like that of Aliko Dangote.”

Also, Ayodele Gbadamosi, a 400-Level, Bio-chemistry student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo state, who spoke on behalf of other beneficiaries, said that the gesture would improve academic performance of the students, pledging that the students would not disappoint Dangote Group and the communities for their efforts in ensuring that the students are educated despite being poor.