Business
Dangote Cement Okpella Commits To Dev’t, Social Support For Hosts
In demonstration of commitment to the development and overall well-being of host communities and their people, the Dangote Cement, Okpella has signed a development and social support agreement with its Okpella Edo State host communities.
According to a statement from the Dangote Group, the signing of the Community Development Agreement (CDA) came just as the Edo State and the federal government commended the company for being proactive in planning for the growth of its host communities as a sure means of promoting peaceful co-habitation.
The Okpella Plant Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Mohammed Ismaeel, pointed out that the cement company has fully complied with the provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 as well as that of the Minerals and Mining Regulation 2011 of the federal republic of Nigeria.
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Signing the agreement on behalf of the company at Okpella, Ismaeel said the ceremony was very significant in that it aimed at promoting harmonious and mutual benefits between the cement company and its host communities.
“Today’s occasion is not only a demonstration of our compliance to these regulatory provisions as a responsible corporate organization but it also a demonstration of our commitment to the development and overall wellbeing of our host communities.
“For us as a company, we believe in the mantra, good neighbourliness is good business, hence we are doing everything possible to maintain harmonious relationship with all the communities where we operate”, Ismaeel added.
He also noted that the occasion marked the beginning of concrete infrastructural development and social supports in the areas of education, improved access to health care, economic empowerment programmes targeted at the youths, women and the farming population, improved access to potable water, support to improve electrification and power supply among other things.
According to the Plant Director, the CDA also provides for scholarship grants for students in secondary and tertiary institutions to promote excellence in educational pursuits of indigent students from Dangote Cement, Okpella host communities.
He added that the CDA document clearly states the consultative framework for engagements, grievance management and obligations of both the Plant and the host communities for mutual growth and development stressing that, it is clearly a path to define relationships, commitments, obligations and expectations with potential to address immediate concerns and future social issues that may arise in the course of the relationship between the company and its host communities.
Ishmaeel then requested the host communities to keep their end of the bargain by supporting and collaborating with the company so as to foster all round development.
“Be assured that we are always ready to listen, dialogue and resolve all concerns”, he noted.
The Edo State Commissioner for Mines and Energy, Hon. Donatus Ojiefoh, who represented the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, praised the company’s management for taking the path of peace with its host communities pledging by so doing, that the state governor will always support any investors who wants to invest in the state.
He assured the people of the communities that more investors are willing to come and invest in the state but that the people most be willing to cooperate and provide the enabling environment for them to operate.
Ojiefoh admitted that it is imperative for students to study the mineral resources that are abound in their communities in order to be able to appreciate them.
In her own remark, the host Etsako East Local Government Chairman, Benedicta Atu, commended the company for signing the agreement despite the odds and the delay occasioned by some factors saying it was good that the signing took place at the time.
She called on the companies operating within the local government to urgently help with the payment of the monumentization of the boundary between Okpella and Kogi State.
Speaking for the host communities, High Chief Afiabor Peter, Secretary, Ukhomunyio Council of Village Heads, Afokpella thanked the Dangote’s Cement for the signing of the CDA, saying that it was a welcome development as it will benefit all the parties involved.
He expressed confidence that all that are contained in the agreement were thorough reflections of the wish and aspirations of the host communities and promised that the host communities would be up and doing to fulfil their own side of the bargain.
The NNPC Foundation Limited/Gte, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), has won the CSR Champion Award (Health) 2025 instituted by the Independent Newspapers.
Biztellers reports that the award was presented during the Silver Jubilee edition of the Independent Newspapers Awards, themed “Game Changers: Breaking Barriers and Shaping Tomorrow,” held at Eko Hotel and Suites on Saturday, 18 April 2026.
The CSR Champion Award (Health) recognises the Foundation’s work in healthcare and its broader commitment to improving lives through social investment programmes spanning health, education, environment, and access to energy.Primary & Secondary Schooling (K-12)
The recognition follows a series of health initiatives delivered by the Foundation, including free cataract screening and surgeries that restored sight to over 6,000 Nigerians, including minors born blind; cancer and glaucoma interventions; medical outreaches to underserved communities; renovation and furnishing of three wards with 100 beds at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi; partnership and sponsorship of heart surgeries; and provision of dental health accessories to children in special schools, among others.
The NNPC Foundation noted that these results were made possible through the leadership and support of the NNPC Ltd. Management team, whose commitment has continued to strengthen the Foundation’s capacity to deliver social investments across the country.
Reacting to the award, the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, Emmanuella Arukwe, described the recognition as a validation of the Foundation’s work and the trust placed in it by Nigerians. She noted that the award means so much to the company because it represents the confidence Nigerians have placed in its work and the value they see in purposeful social investment.
“It speaks to the resilience of the communities we serve, the dedication of our team, and the strength of partnerships that have enabled us to do meaningful work in health, education, environmental sustainability and access to energy,” she added.
In addition, Arukwe noted that “these results have also been made possible through the leadership and support of the NNPC Ltd. Management team, whose backing has been instrumental to the success of the Foundation’s work. We receive this award with gratitude, and with a renewed sense of responsibility to do more and reach further across the country.”
The NNPC Foundation Limited/Gte remains committed to advancing health interventions that improve outcomes and contribute to national development.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), through its Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) Division, in collaboration with the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sonatrach, the Algerian National Oil Company, for cooperation in research, development, and innovation.
The agreement, signed by NNPC Ltd’s Executive Vice President, Business Services, Sophia Mbakwe, and Sonatrach’s Managing Director, Khodjah Mohamed, establishes a formal framework for joint work in research and technology exchange between the two national oil companies.
This was contained in the press statement issued on Thursday by Chief Corporate Communications Officer Mr. Andy Odeh.
According to the statement, the agreement, held during the opening ceremony of the 3rd Meeting of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) Forum for R&D Directors at the PTDF Tower in Abuja, Nigeria, brought together research and development directors from APPO member countries.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, represented by former Secretary General of APPO, Omar Farouk Ibrahim, said the forum was one of four measures introduced by APPO to address challenges from the global energy transition, which center on funding, technology, and markets.
“The R&D forum tackles technology and expertise needs, the African Energy Bank addresses funding constraints, and the Central African Pipeline System supports regional oil and gas market integration,” Lokpobiri stated.
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Earlier in his remarks, Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, represented by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, Adedapo Segun, said research and development must form a central part of the overall strategy in the African oil and gas industry.
He called for research and development centres to function as engines of industrial competitiveness. “Collaboration in research and development is of strategic importance. The cost of innovation might be high, but the cost of obsolescence would be greater,” he stressed.
Ojulari called for a unified strategic framework through which resources could be pooled, data integrated, and risks shared across member countries.
He further urged the rapid adoption of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and advanced engineering to improve upstream, midstream, and downstream operations.
On his part, the APPO Secretary General, Farid Ghezali, urged African petroleum-producing countries to ensure research in the oil and gas sector produced solutions that are practical and directly relevant to the continent. “We must ensure that our research delivers solutions that are practical and of direct use to Africa,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Prof. Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu, highlighted the value of the partnership between NNPC Limited and PTDF in supporting decarbonization and environmental protection efforts across APPO member countries.
Chief Innovation Officer of NNPC Research, Technology and Innovation and incoming Chairman of the APPO R&D Directors Forum, Rasheed Ojulari, said the forum would give immediate priority to joint programs in the core areas of upstream optimization, artificial intelligence, decarbonisation processes, and industrial systems development.
The Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), has opined that a predictable fiscal and regulatory environment are ingredients essential to de-risking investments and accelerating project delivery in the oil and gas sector.
This was detailed in a statement released by NGA at the end of its maiden Legal Forum emphasised that investor confidence will be shaped by the robustness of commercial and contractual structures across the gas value chain, strengthened contractual clarity, and efficient dispute resolution mechanisms.
In his opening address, President of the NGA, Aka Nwokedi, underscored the urgency of aligning Nigeria’s legal architecture with its strategic gas ambitions, noting that the sector’s next phase of growth will be defined by the strength, clarity, and credibility of its regulatory environment.
“Nigeria’s gas resources present a defining opportunity for economic transformation, but realising this potential will depend on building a legal framework that is transparent, predictable, and globally competitive”, he stated.
Discussions throughout the Forum reflected a clear and consistent theme: that Nigeria’s opportunity now lies in execution.
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While the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has established a transformative foundation for sector reform, participants emphasised that its true impact will be determined by disciplined implementation, regulatory coherence, and institutional alignment.
The need to eliminate ambiguity and strengthen enforcement emerged as central to unlocking sustained investment.
As global energy systems continue to evolve, the Forum reinforced natural gas as Nigeria’s most strategic lever for balancing economic growth, energy security, and emissions reduction. Participants highlighted that legal and regulatory frameworks must evolve accordingly, moving beyond policy intent to embed clear, enforceable standards on carbon management, ESG obligations, and sustainability.
“In an increasingly competitive global market, such clarity will be critical in attracting long-term capital.”
The Forum also acknowledged the policy direction of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in advancing gas development through infrastructure expansion and increased domestic utilisation.
Stakeholders noted that sustained policy stability will serve as a critical signal to both domestic and international investors evaluating long-term opportunities in Nigeria’s gas sector.
Beyond its technical depth, the NGA Legal Forum marked an important step in bridging the longstanding gap between legal frameworks and industry realities, creating a structured platform for continuous engagement, practical alignment, and forward-looking policy development.
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