4th Community Day: Dangote Cement Ibese boosts CSR Impact with 100 Scholarships, ICT Tools and Infrastructure Projects

Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese Plant, on Wednesday, 18th December, 2025, boosted its commitment to sustainable community development as it hosted the fourth edition of its Annual Community Day.

The event held at the Company premises engaged traditional rulers, women groups, youth organisations and key stakeholders from its 17 host communities in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The annual Community Day, initiated by the management of Dangote Cement Plc (DCP), Ibese, serves as a strategic platform for direct engagement with host communities, allowing the company to present its performance scorecard, review challenges, and highlight Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects executed within the year.

Highlights of the 2025 Community Day included the empowerment of women with multi-purpose corn milling machines, the announcement of ₦15.72 million in scholarships for students, and the unveiling of a Social Investment Scorecard detailing 13 completed projects and 10 ongoing initiatives scheduled for completion before the end of 2025.

Speaking at the event, the Plant Director of Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese, Mr Ayyagari Subbaraidu, represented by the Chief General Manager, Maintenance, Mr Hemant Dave, described the Community Day as a reflection of the company’s deliberate strategy to deepen stakeholder engagement.

“This occasion reflects our deliberate and continuous effort to broaden stakeholder engagement and deepen community participation,” Subbaraidu said.

“Community Day has become a strategic feature that provides a platform to review our social stewardship with a comprehensive account of our corporate social investments.”

He noted that Dangote Cement’s approach to community relations goes beyond cement production to embrace care, inclusion and partnership, describing it as “the Dangote Way.”

Subbaraidu also appreciated the support of the Ogun State Government, traditional institutions, customers, vendors and other stakeholders for their cooperation with the Ibese Plant.

Presenting the company’s 2025 Social Investment Scorecard, the Head of Social Performance, Dangote Cement Ibese, Mr Ademola Ojolowo, disclosed that the plant completed 13 developmental projects within the year, with 10 additional projects currently ongoing.

According to Ojolowo, the interventions span skill acquisition programmes, women empowerment schemes, farmer support initiatives, health sensitisation campaigns, public infrastructure construction, and the installation of solar inverter systems across host communities.

“The social investment scorecard reflects steady progress and service delivery in empowerment, education, health and infrastructure,” he said.
“As a responsible organisation in mining and manufacturing, we remain committed under the Community Development Agreement to complement government efforts through social and economic benefits to our communities.”

He added that Dangote Cement would continue to prioritise sustainability, project efficiency and strong partnerships as it enters the next phase of its community development agenda.

As part of its education support programme, Dangote Cement announced ₦15,720,000 in scholarship awards for 120 students drawn from the 17 host communities. Beneficiaries included 100 undergraduates and 20 pupils from primary and secondary schools.

In addition, 25 youths received laptops under the company’s Digital Training and ICT Empowerment Programme, while 60 women were empowered with corn milling machines to boost their economic activities and livelihoods.

Government officials, traditional rulers and community leaders present at the event commended Dangote Cement for its consistent investment in healthcare, infrastructure and human capital development.

In his goodwill message, the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, praised the Ibese Plant for its “steady support and commitment to community development,” while urging the company to address environmental and safety concerns.

“There is a need to address indiscriminate parking by some truck drivers on major roads in the area to prevent accidents and ease movement,” Elemide said.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Community Development, Hon. Ademola Balogun, the Chairman of Yewa North Local Government, Dr Olusola Akinbode, and the Aboro of Ibeseland, Oba Rotimi Mulero, urged beneficiaries to maximise the empowerment opportunities and called on the company to expand infrastructure investments.

The Aboro of Ibeseland, HRM Oba Oluwarotimi Oluwaseyi Mulero, while appreciating Dangote Cement for job creation, appealed for greater inclusion of qualified indigenes in management-level positions.

“We urge the management to place deserving members of the host communities in roles that align with their professional qualifications,” the monarch said.

Speaking on behalf of women beneficiaries, the Women Leader of Ijako-Orile, Princess Sherifat Akintunde, expressed gratitude for the milling machines, noting their impact on household income and productivity.

“Before now, women struggled to grind their farm produce. This empowerment will significantly improve our livelihoods,” she said.

The event also featured cultural displays, presentation of laptops and gadgets, and interactive sessions between Dangote Cement management and community stakeholders, making the 2025 Community Day both impactful and memorable.