Business
Dangote Cement Marks Host Community Day
. . . Ibese Plant Awards Scholarships, Empowers Youths, Women, Farmers
Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese Plant, has marked its 2023 Host Community Day with four multi-million Naira empowerment schemes targeted at youths, women, farmers and students.
These were detailed a statement electronically transmitted to Biztellers by the Corporate Communications Department of the Dangote Group on Thursday.
It stated, “At the well-attended event witnessed by leading traditional rulers, women and youth leaders from the host communities, 103 indigent and brilliant secondary and tertiary institution students across the 17 host communities were given scholarship awards and another set of 30 youths trained on shoe and bag-making were presented to the delight of the royal fathers.
“In the same vein, the management of Dangote Cement Ibese presented 60 Weeding Machines procured for farmers to help them clear their farms with ease, given that the communities are majorly agrarian and crop planting has been their means of livelihood.
“Not less than 50 women selected from the host communities were also empowered with deep freezers to help them cope with the prevailing economic challenge in the country.
“Same number of women were also gifted with ultra-modern grinding machines during the celebration of the maiden edition of the Community Day last year.
“Recall that the Cement Company had earlier intervened in a prolonged outage in some of the communities by procuring cables and other materials needed for the restoration of electricity to the affected communities.”
Plant Director, Ibese, Azad Nawabuddin noted that the company had stepped up its social interventions, given the prevailing challenging situation across the world.
According to him, businesses and families across the world and in Nigeria have been confronted with socio-economic challenges in the year 2023, pointing out that a lot has happened to test the peoples’ and organisations’ resilience and innovation, but that Dangote Cement has been able to weather the storm and remained afloat mainly due to the unalloyed supports received from the host communities.
He said, “The challenges notwithstanding, we are able to continue the upward trajectory in the delivery of our socio-economic development promises, in reciprocation and in line with our commitment to improving the overall wellbeing of our people. We have stepped up our social interventions in our host communities according to their needs and we will not shy away from making the people happy.”
According to Nawabuddin, Dangote Cement’s commitment to the well-being and development of its people through intentional empowerment programmes remain unwavering, adding that the management would continue to get better in its stride to fulfill the pact it has with the host communities and to complement the efforts of the Government in improving the standard of living of the people.
Reeling out some social investments carried out during the year, the Plant Director said “this year, we embarked on 23 social investment projects and revamp of ten non-functional CSR projects across the 17 host communities, in line with the thematic focus of DCP’s Social Investments i.e. Education, Health, Infrastructure and Empowerment, and we have so far recorded remarkable progress in their implementations.”
He described the scholarship programme as the oldest of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by the plant and added that the scheme, which started with 28 students, has grown to cover 103 tertiary institution students and 17 secondary school students on annual basis.
Noting that the selected students enjoy scholarship up to graduation stage, after which the concerned communities supply replacements, he disclosed that a total of 989 Scholarships have been awarded under the scheme to date with many testaments to the positive impacts on the various communities.
On youth empowerment, the Dangote Cement boss said youths are regarded as a very critical stakeholder group in every society, but expressed regret that it has become impracticable for governments and businesses to meet the employment demand of all the youths.
“Therefore, as a responsible organisation, Dangote Cement, Ibese annually trains and empowers Youths across the host communities in marketable trade areas, with various implementing partners since 2019,” Nawabuddin added.
According to him, “Host community Youths had been empowered in vocations such as Catering and Event Management, Acutherapy, Tailoring and Fashion designing, and Domestic Electrification in the previous years and that this year, no fewer than 30 youths selected from the 17 host communities are being trained on Shoe and Bag-making, with the Industrial Training Fund as the implementing partner.”
On empowerment of the farmers, Nawabuddin stated that the farmers need support to take advantage of the available large span of arable land and that was why Dangote Cement Ibese procured 60 Weeding Machines for the farmer beneficiaries, “as it is becoming increasingly difficult to source labour from the neighbouring Benin Republic as was the usual practice.”
According to him, the farmers have undergone one-day training on the usage and basic maintenance of the tool. The Implementing partner, Equinox, which is also locally sourced to promote local content, also offered to train specially two of the beneficiaries on the repair to guarantee sustainability.
On the decision to empower women, he said explained that Dangote Cement management recognised the important role women play in building families and by extension, the society; thus the company provided a platform for regular engagement with women representatives of the Host Communities tagged ‘Women Assembly’.
“This year, the Company reached out to assess the needs of the Women in our host communities and came up with the request for Chest Freezers to help our people start new businesses and expand existing ones. It is our joy that the proposal has now come to fruition. Fifty (50) lucky women have deep freezers to enhance their businesses”, Nawabuddin stated.
In his goodwill message, the Aboro of Ibeseland, Oba Rotimi Oluwaseyi Mulero thanked the management of Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant for its gesture in impacting their host communities positively, noting that the people are happy and the company should not relent in its social interventions.
While describing the social performance profile of the company as very impressive, the royal father stated that with what Dangote Cement has been doing for the people, it beholves on the community leaders and all the residents to reciprocate and ensure peace reigns for the good of all so that the company can do more.
Oba Mulero said, “much as the people and community leaders are lauding the company for the giant strides in the host communities, I am also enjoining them not rest on their oars. we are still asking for more because all these projects can never be too much for the people. Also, we want the management to consider someone from the host communities to be appointed into management position.
“In all, Dangote Cement has done excellently well, last year we were here when grinding machines were given to our women. Today, it is freezers, the youths and the farmers are not left out. Scholarship for the indigent students, what can we say than pray to God to continue to help Dangote Cement grow more so that they can do more.”
In the same vein, the Ogun State Commissioner for Trade and Investments, Adebola Sofela, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Olu Aikulola, commended Dangote Cement for the various interventions in form of empowerment of the people, describing the gesture as a kind of relief to the state government.
Of note, according to him, is the conflict resolution mechanism of the company, which he said has been very effective. He advised the management to sustain it while describing the Chairman of the Company, Aliko Dangote as the most progressive entrepreneur in the country.
Africa’s largest financial institution, Standard Bank Group, has reaffirmed commitment to support the growth of the Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), pledged backing the planned listing of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, and expressed readiness to finance future expansion projects across the continent.
The commitment came during a strategic visit by Standard Bank Group Chief Executive, Sim Tshabalala, and senior executives to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Dangote Fertiliser complex in Lagos.
Speaking after touring the facilities, Tshabalala described the refinery as a transformational industrial project with far-reaching implications for Nigeria and Africa.
“We are here because the Dangote Group is a large and important global player and a significant force on the African continent,” he said. “Standard Bank is the largest financial institution in Africa and we have partnered with Dangote on a variety of initiatives. We are here to lend support, to see this magnificent refinery and to discuss Vision 2030 and how we can continue supporting the Group’s growth ambitions.”
Tshabalala disclosed that Standard Bank intends to play a leading role in the refinery’s planned Initial Public Offering and future growth initiatives.
“As Dangote lists, there is an IPO coming up and we are a leading player in that process,” he said. “As the Group continues to expand in Nigeria and across Africa, there will be opportunities for financial advisory services and balance sheet support, and we stand ready to provide both.”
He described the refinery as “a wonder of the world,” noting that its impact is already being felt through stronger foreign exchange earnings, improved balance-of-payments performance and enhanced energy security.
“This is a wonder to behold. It is massive, productive and transformative. It is already making a significant contribution to Nigeria’s economy through its impact on foreign reserves, the balance of payments and the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
Group Vice President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, said the visit represented a significant milestone in a partnership that began during the refinery’s construction phase.
“The bank visited us during construction and understood the scale of what we were building,” Edwin said. “Today, the refinery is fully operational and they can see what their support has helped to create. It is like nurturing a tree and eventually seeing it bear fruit.”
He added that both organisations are exploring opportunities to deepen collaboration as Dangote expands its industrial footprint across Africa.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, David Bird, said the visit highlighted the importance of long-term partnerships in delivering large-scale industrial projects.
“Standard Bank has been one of our strongest supporters throughout the history of the refinery and the broader Dangote Group,” Bird said.
“This visit was an opportunity to demonstrate what that support has enabled. Seeing is believing, and it allows our partners to appreciate the scale of what has been achieved.”
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The visit also coincided with a major operational milestone for the refinery, which has now exceeded its original design capacity.
Bird disclosed that the refinery recently completed performance test runs at 700,000 barrels per day, above its nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
“We have always believed there was engineering flexibility built into the design,” he said. “Achieving sustained production of 700,000 barrels per day is a testament to the technical capability of our people and the strength of the systems we have built.”
The deadline for submitting technical and commercial bids by prequalified applicants participating in Nigeria’s ongoing 2025 Licensing Round has been set for Friday, June 12, 2026, close of business.
This was disclosed by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), in a notice posted on its official X handle on Tuesday.
The Commission urged all qualified bidders to comply strictly with the timelines stipulated in the licensing guidelines.
“The NUPRC hereby notifies the general public that submission of Technical and Commercial Bids by Prequalified Applicants for the 2025 Licensing Round closes on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 16:30 hours (WAT) in line with the 2025 Licensing Round Guidelines,” the notice read.
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The commission advised interested stakeholders to obtain further details through the official licensing round portal.
“For more details, visit the licensing round portal: br2025.nuprc.gov.ng,” it added.
The announcement signals the transition of the exercise to one of its most critical phases, as investors compete for opportunities in Nigeria’s upstream sector amid renewed government efforts to attract capital and boost hydrocarbon production.
The two-stage process, qualification followed by bidding, requires shortlisted firms to lodge final proposals by the stated time.
The 2025 Licensing Round, conducted under the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), is part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to unlock dormant hydrocarbon assets, deepen exploration activities and improve the country’s reserve base.
The successful completion of the technical and commercial bid stage would pave the way for the eventual award of oil blocks to successful applicants.
The Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) has reinforced its position as Africa’s most influential corporate brand after emerging as the continent’s Most Admired African Brand for the eight consecutive years.
In the same vein, the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, DIL, Anthony Chiejina, was named among Africa’s 100 Most Influential Chief Marketing Officers.
The recognition was announced at the 16th annual Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands rankings unveiled in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The survey, regarded as Africa’s most comprehensive consumer-led brand study, covered 30 countries representing more than 85 per cent of the continent’s population and economic output.
In the latest rankings, Dangote emerged as Africa’s Most Admired Brand in aided recall, ahead of South Africa’s MTN and Vodacom. In the spontaneous recall category, it ranked second among African brands, behind MTN and ahead of Trade Kings. The Group also retained its position as Africa’s Most Admired Industrial Brand and was ranked the No. 1 African Brand Contributing to a Better Africa, ahead of MTN, DStv, Shoprite/Checkers and Trade Kings, reflecting its significant contribution to industrialisation, job creation, economic development and sustainable growth across the continent.
The rankings show Dangote’s growing influence as one of Africa’s most recognisable corporate brands, built on investments spanning cement, fertiliser, petrochemicals, energy, sugar, salt, packaging and logistics. Brand Africa noted that despite a modest rebound in African brand recognition, homegrown brands still account for only 15 per cent of Africa’s 100 most admired brands, highlighting the continued dominance of foreign brands across the continent.
Brand Africa Founder and Chairman, Thebe Ikalafeng, described the promotion and support of African brands as a critical economic imperative for the continent.
“Converting goodwill towards African contribution into admiration for African brands is the most urgent commercial opportunity for the continent. It is not enough for Africans to believe in Africa, they must buy Made-in-Africa,” he said.
The survey also ranked Dangote among Africa’s leading brands in sustainability and social impact, placing second in the category of brands recognised for doing good for society, people and the environment.
Despite the dominance of global brands across Africa, Dangote has cemented its position as one of the continent’s leading corporate brands, alongside MTN and Ethiopian Airlines. The three emerged as the highest ranked African brands in the 2026 Brand Africa rankings, standing out on a list dominated by global names such as Nike, Adidas, Samsung, Apple and Coca-Cola.
The achievement is notable given that African brands accounted for just 15 percent of the Top 100 rankings, compared with 38 percent for European brands, 28 percent for North American brands and 19 percent for Asian brands.
Further strengthening the Group’s standing, its Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, was selected for the inaugural Africa CMO 100 (ACMO100) list, which recognises the continent’s most impactful marketing, brand and reputation leaders.
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The ACMO100 initiative, launched by Brand Africa in partnership with African Business magazine, MIPAD and the African Media Agency, honours marketing executives whose work is shaping Africa’s business narrative, strengthening brand equity and driving economic growth across the continent and the diaspora.
Chiejina was among only 20 executives selected from West Africa and one of 17 Nigerians recognised for their contribution to brand building, corporate reputation management and strategic communications.
According to Brand Africa, the selection process was based on independent research, industry impact, leadership influence and contribution to the growth of brands that shape consumer perceptions and economic outcomes across Africa.
The latest recognition adds to a growing list of honours for Dangote Industries, which was inducted into the Brand Africa Hall of Fame last year for consistently ranking among Africa’s most admired brands over more than a decade. Its President and Chief Executive, Aliko Dangote, was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award for championing industrialisation and building one of Africa’s most successful indigenous enterprises.
Caption: Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa, Thebe Ikalafeng; CEO, Dangote Cement Ethiopia, Danilo Trugillo; and President of the Ethiopian Marketing Professionals Association and Chief Marketing Officer of Population Services International, Fana Abay, display some of the awards won by Dangote Industries Limited during the 16th Brand Africa 100 Awards ceremony in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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