The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dangote

  • Dangote still most admired African brand in fresh survey

    For the second year, Dangote Group has won the most admired African brand of African continent origin by consumers.

    The Nigerian company beat telecommunication giant, MTN, in a survey of 100 Africa best brands announced in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the weekend.

    In the survey carried out in collaboration with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) – the seventh edition, which was released at the weekend – South Africa-based Brand Africa said of 15,000 brands mentioned, Dangote ranked first when consumers were prompted to recall the most admired African brand.

    In the top 100 list, the United States sports and fitness mega brand, Nike, a non-African brand, retained the overall number one brand in Africa spontaneously recalled by consumers. MTN is the number one African brand spontaneously recalled brand, while surging Ethiopian brand Anbessa Shoes, at number two, swopped positions with the Nigerian conglomerate, Dangote, which is the number three most admired brand of African of origin.

    But when consumers were prompted to recall the most admired African brand, Dangote retained the number one position.  Last year, the Dangote brand was named the most valuable brand among the top 50 in Nigeria.

    A further analysis of the ranking indicated that overall, the 2018/2019 Brand Africa 100 list, which is calculated from 15,000 brand mentions, illustrates a very diversified range of brands in Africa and shows year-on-year consistency with 80 per cent of the top 100 brands, having been in the top 100 Most Admired Brands in previous years.

    Overall, African brands faltered to an all-time low of 14 per cent share of the top 100 most admired brands in Africa.  But MTN (South Africa), Dangote (Nigeria) and Safaricom (Kenya) are the most admired highest listed brands on sub-Sahara’s leading bourses, the JSE, the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) and Nairobi Securities Exchange.

    Faced with a relentless focus on the African opportunity and investment by non-African brands, Africa’s share of the most admired brands has been rapidly declining in the past three years from a high of 25 per cent in 2013/2014 to lows of 16 per cent in 2015/2016, 16 percent in 2016/2017 and 17 per cent in 2017/2018.

    “Today at the JSE, at an event with industry leaders from across Africa, hosted by the JSE in partnership with Geopoll, Kantar and Brand Leadership, Brand Africa announced the Top 100 brands in Africa in their seventh annual Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands.

    “Nike, MTN, Dangote, Ecobank and BBC were recognised as the most admired brands on the continent,” a statement by Brand Africa said.

    It added: “Non-African brands have entrenched their positions in Africa, with North American brands, dominated exclusively by United States of America (U.S.A) brands (28 per cent), leading with a growth of 17 per cent versus 2017/2018. The strength of U.S.A brands was boosted by the entry and/or re-entry of stalwart American brands, such as number 71 Levi’s, number 91 Chevrolet and Pepsi’s Miranda at number 80, who are all among the 20 new entrants.

    “European brands (41 per cent) are up by 25 per cent and Asian brands (17 per cent) down by 10 per cent, round up the continental spread of brands Africans admire.”

    The Brand Africa 100 rankings are based on a survey among a representative sample of respondents 18 years and older, conducted in 25 countries across Africa.

    Covering all African economic regions, collectively these countries account for an estimated 80 per cent of the continent’s population and 75 per cent of the GDP.

  • Dangote is world’s 11th greatest leader, says U.S. journal

    AFRICA’S richest man Aliko Dangote has been ranked 11th in the club of World’s 50 Greatest Leaders for this year.

    The rating was announced by Fortune, a multinational business magazine based in New York City, United States. It focuses mainly on privately-run businesses and how their promoters have used them to impact their society positively.

    The magazine, which had its maiden edition published in February 1930, said the world’s greatest leaders (both men and women) are transforming the world and inspiring others to do so in business, government, philanthropy and the arts.

    It said: “These thinkers, speakers and doers make bold choices and take big risks – and move others to do the same.”

    It was learnt that Fortune magazine was recognising and including Aliko Dangote in the annual ranking for the first time. Specifically, Dangote having popped up in the magazine’s radar earned nomination after being adjudged as having used business to acquire wealth and converting the wealth into impactful philanthropy through his Aliko Dangote Foundation.

    The top 10 greatest men and women, according to Fortune are: Bill and Melinda Gates; Jacinda Ardem (Prime Minister, New Zealand); Robert Mueller (Special Counsel, Department of Justice); Pony Ma (Founder and CEO, Tencent); Satya Nadella (CEO, Microsoft); Greta Thunberg (Student and climate activist, Sweden); Margrethe Vestager (Commissioner for Competition, European Union); Anna Nimiriano (Editor-in-Chief, Juba Monitor); Jose Andres (Chef/Founder, World Central Kitchen); and Dough Mcmillon and Lisa Woods (CEO; Senior Director, Strategy & Design for U.S. Benefits, Walmart).

    REad also: ICAN lauds Dangote on economic growth, job creation

    Dangote’s rating as one of the greatest business leaders has attracted comments by eminent persons around the world, who described him as worthy of the nomination going by his business acumen and philanthropic gestures.

    Global business giant and founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gate, extolled the efforts of Dangote in making businesses play roles in provision of sound public health through his various interventions in health care issues, especially in the fight against malnutrition and routine polio.

    Gates, who tops the list of World’s Greatest Leaders, said: “Aliko Dangote, through his leadership at the Aliko Dangote Foundation, is a key partner in the Polio eradication effort, strengthening routine immunisation and fighting malnutrition in Nigeria and across Africa. Aliko bridges the gap between private business and public health in a unique way and our shared belief that Nigeria will thrive when every Nigerian is able to thrive drives our partnership.”

    Renowned activist and co-founder of ONE, Paul David Hewson (popularly called Mr. Bono), said he was not surprised at Dangote’s feat globally, describing his vision “as big as the African continent”.

    Bono, a global campaigner on taking action to end extreme poverty, especially in Africa said: “Aliko has a vision just the size of his continent, but with humility of somebody who has just started his first job. It’s no surprise to me that Fortune would recognise his leadership because we have seen first-hand, through his service on ONE’s Board, the benefits of his wise counsel and grace.”

    Also, economic analyst Bismark Rewane, stated: “Aliko remains understated but very potent and Africa’s most successful and decorated entrepreneur. He is a global financial and managerial behemoth.”

    Dangote as Africa’s richest, with a networth of $16.4 billion according to Bloomberg, and four publicly traded companies under the umbrella of his Dangote Industries now account for about a third of the value of the Nigerian stock exchange.

    That wealth is based on a big bet on Nigeria’s economic independence: Dangote’s peers give him credit for helping the country become self-sufficient in the sectors in which his companies compete (cement, agriculture and mining)

    The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) is the Philanthropic endeavor of the business mogul. The main objective of the Foundation is to reduce the number of lives lost to malnutrition and disease. The Foundation is poised to combat Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in children, as the core of its programming. It has also resolved to use its investments in health, education, and economic empowerment to help lift people out of poverty.

    Dangote was last year ranked among 75 most powerful persons on the planet. He was rated ahead of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

    He has been named among most powerful persons in the world for the past five consecutive years.  According to the Forbe’s 2018 ranking of the World Powerful people, Dangote ranked among world leaders like Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump – all of whom were ranked first, second and third respectively.

    He was the only Nigerian on the list and one of the only two Africans who made the list with the other being the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who was ranked 45th most powerful.

    He was named among the 100 most influential personalities in the world in 2018 byTime Magazine, a leading business broadcast organisation. The CNBC had earlier in same year ranked Dangote as one of the 25 people that have had most profound impact on business and finance worldwide.

    He was rated the most influential African by Jeune Afrique in their classification of the most influential 50 Africans in 2018, and was also named the 6th most charitable person in the world in the same year according to Richtopia, a United Kingdom-based digital platform. He is, in addition, the richest African, according to Forbes.

    Dangote stepped up his humanitarian activities recently spending billions of to build hospitals and critical hospital equipment, the lack of which has promoted medical tourism among the few privileged.

    He recently donated a N1.2 billion Business School complex to the Bayero University in Kano and another one for the University of Ibadan Business School. Last month, he donated 10 blocks of hall of students’ hostel with capacity for 2,160 beds to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State

    Dangote has, through the Foundation been disbursing N10 billion to vulnerable women across the 774 local governments in the country.

    Dangote made a donation of $2 million to the World Food Programme as part of efforts to help Pakistani nationals devastated by floods in the year 2010.

    He was made the chairperson of the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief, which raised in excess of N11.35 billion, of which Dangote himself contributed N2.5 billion, an amount higher than the entire contribution from the 36 state governors in Nigeria.

    The Foundation has spent over N7 billion in the troubled Northeast for the reintegration of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

  • ICAN lauds Dangote on economic growth, job creation

    The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has lauded the pioneering roles of  pan-African conglomerate, Dangote Group in shaping the economy for the benefit of Nigerians and other African countries.

    It praised the management of the company for the giant strides it has been undertaking in manufacturing business to make the country self-sufficient in a number of commodities that would have otherwise made the nation spend huge foreign exchange in importing.

    Its President, Razak Jayeola made these remarks when he led the executive members of the body to the Lagos head office of the Group on a courtesy visit.

    He said the company has become a pride of Africa in its trail blazing efforts in manufacturing businesses such as cement and sugar which had hitherto caused the country huge foreign exchange (forex) to import for which the nation is now self-sufficient and even now exporting.

    Jayeola also alluded to 650,000 bpd refinery currently under construction which will also save Nigeria forex which is presently being spent on importation of petroleum products.

    The Institute particularly praised the ingenuity of the management led by Group Managing Director of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Mr Olakunle Alake.

    Jayeola said: “It shows from all indication that he has skills laced with strategy with which he has been steering the company to profitability.

    “Dangote Group is a pride of Africa, its contribution to job creation is unquantifiable Nigeria has achieved self-sufficiency in cement and sugar through the efforts of the company, Nigerians can’t thank you enough.”

    He also explained some of the challenges being faced by the Institute and efforts being made by his leadership to turn things around.

    He disclosed that the institute has commenced stakeholders fora to address its challenges.

  • Dangote donates 2,160-bed hostel to ABU

    AFRICA’S foremost businessman and Aliko Dangote Foundation Chairman Alhaji Aliko Dangote donated at the weekend a 2,160-bed space hostel complex to the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State.

    The hostel, comprising 10 blocks of 360 rooms, built at  N1.2 billion, is coming after similar gestures to Bayero University, Kano and University of Ibadan, Ibadan, where the business mogul donated multi-billion naira business school complexes, respectively as part of his contribution to the education development in the country.

    The inauguration of the hall of residence coincided with ABU’s 41st convocation during which the varsity conferred on Dangote and the renowned Labour leader Hassan Sumonu, honourary Doctorate degrees.

    Also 15,787 graduating students were also awarded various degrees.

    The President of Dangote Group explained that he was moved to build the structure having realised that the students’ population at the universities have recorded significant increase without a corresponding growth in terms of infrastructure.

    He lamented that the situation has remained a subsisting and growing major challenge as public varsities grapple with under-funding.

    Dangote said: “Thus, I will like to use this opportunity to enjoin the Federal Government to consider allocating special funds to the universities to enable them to improve on research and upgrade their infrastructure. Such special intervention has become imperative given the perennial funding challenges facing our universities.”

    Dangote said the Federal Government alone could not shoulder the entire burden of funding tertiary education due to competing needs of other sectors that also demand priority attention. This is where Public Private Partnership (PPP) can and should come in to fill the gap.

    He then enjoined the private sector to adopt a new approach towards supporting the federal government in tackling the funding deficit in the higher institutions of learning.

    Dangote said: “I strongly believe the private sector must go beyond just the payment of the two per cent Education levy and be ready to join hands with the federal and governments in funding tertiary education. This will ensure that our institutions of higher learning are positioned to produce graduates who can transform this nation.

    “If there are two things that I am passionate about, they are education and entrepreneurship. I believe they go hand in hand. Some years ago, as Chairman of the National Committee on Job Creation, my committee strived to fashion out strategies for integrating entrepreneurship into our national educational curriculum, in line with what obtains in the Western world.”

    Expressing his gratitude on the award conferred on him, Dangote described ABU as “an institution famed for its incredibly thorough academic tradition, the quality of faculty, and the enriching experiences of life within its walls.

    “Today, the university has lived to its billing as a melting pot for ideologies by honouring a renowned socialist and champion of employees’ rights, Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu and Myself, for being a leading capitalist and investor in employment generating enterprises.

    ”It is also with a deep sense of fulfilment that today’s occasion is also being used for the commissioning of 10 blocks of student hostels which consists of 360 fully equipped rooms with capacity for housing 2160 students, built at a cost of N1.2 billion donated by the Aliko Dangote Foundation to Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU) Zaria.

    “Our intervention is designed to lessen the plight of students who suffer acute accommodation challenges within the campus. We have brought similar intervention to University of Ibadan (UI) and Bayero University Kano (BUK) amongst other institutions.”

    Kaduna State Governor Nasiru El-Rufai, who opened the hostel, recommended Dangote’s philanthropic spirit to others for emulation.

    The governor, who is ABU’s alumnus, said both the government and the private sector can partner to lift the education sector in Nigeria pointing out that if not for the efforts of the university management, the institution was already dying.

    Vice Chancellor Prof Ibrahim Garba said the university is the largest in West Africa and described the Aliko Dangote hostel project as a “big relief,” saying lack of adequate accommodation is one of the nightmares of the university.

    Describing Dangote’s gesture as immeasurable, the vice chancellor said that of the 50,000 students of the university, the institution could hardly accommodate 10,000 and that the new hostel was the first addition after 40 years to the hostels built by the university.

    Praising the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the Director Physical Planning and Municipal Services of the University, Muhammad Aminu Sambo, an engineer,  said: “This is a big relief because the university has limited accommodation in relation to the numbers of students admitted every year. This is one of our nightmares.”

  • Dangote, 81 students to get ABU’s Doctor of Letters, First Class

    Billionaire business mogul and President of Dangote Group of Industries, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, is to be conferred with Honorary Doctor of Letters during the convocation of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State, next Saturday.

    Also, 81 students are to bag First Class when 15,289 students line up for the ceremony.

    One-time President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Hassan Adebayo Sunmonu, is also to be conferred with Honorary Doctor of Science at the event.

    President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to honour the event.

    A statement yesterday by the university’s Registrar, Abdullahi Ahmed Kundila, said the convocation lecture, titled: It’s All About the Human Capital …Stupid, will be delivered on Friday by the Founder/Chairman of Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) and former President of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.

    He said: “There are 15,289 graduands for the convocation. The number is made up of 10,803 first degrees and 4,486 postgraduates. The postgraduates comprise of 304 PhDs, 12 M.Phil, 3,092 Masters, 38 MBA by Distance Learning and 1,020 postgraduate diplomas.

    “The breakdown of the first degrees is as follows: First Class – 81; Second Class Upper – 2,043; Second Class Lower – 6,885; Third Class Honours – 1,502; Pass – 114 and Unclassified degree – 178.

    “Also, there are 15 best graduating students for the 2017/2018 across all faculties of the university. They will receive different prizes at the event from the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ibrahim Garba.

    “As for the honorary degrees, the university will equally confer a Doctor of Letters on Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and a Doctor of Science on Comrade Hassan Sunmonu.

    “The two honorary degrees recipients will be honoured for their immense contributions to the economic development of Nigeria and humanity.

    “Activities lined up for the convocation include inauguration of a number of projects in the university by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, on April 26. The projects are as follows: twin deanery building for Faculties of Life and Physical Sciences, Geology Department’s extension, ABU Business School extension, ABU Site II entrance gate, Area G internal road and Biochemistry Department’s extension.

    “Still on Friday, there will be a convocation lecture at 3 p.m at the university’s Assembly Hall. It is to be chaired by the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Abubakar Adamu Rasheed.

    “On April 25, Prof Rasheed will witness the showcasing of some ABU Centres of Excellence and inaugurate projects all at the famous Kashim Ibrahim Library (KIL). This will be after the Vice Chancellor unveils the new signage of ABU gates at ABU main entrance and the North gate.

    “The convocation will be rounded off with the inauguration of 10 blocks consisting of 360 rooms built at ABU Site II and donated to ABU by Alhaji Dangote to alleviate the acute shortage of student accommodation in the university. The students hostel blocks named after the donor (Aliko Dangote Hall) is to be inaugurated by Alhaji Dangote himself.

    “Another three blocks of hostels also constructed in Site II by the university under the NEEDS Assessment Intervention project 2013 will be inaugurated by the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris. These hostels are named after the Emir in appreciation of the dogged fatherly role he always plays in the affairs of the university since his ascension to the throne 40 years ago.

    “Prof Garba is, therefore, inviting all 2017/2018 graduands, their parents and guardians as well as the public to this great event.

    “The Visitor to the university, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will be the special guest of honour while Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufa’I will be the chief host.

    “The Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, is to be the Royal Father of the Day while Prof Garba will be the host,” Kundila said.

  • Dangote takes products to Enugu Fair

    Dangote Group is adding colour to the ongoing 30th Enugu International Trade Fair with an array of edible goods on display. The Group’s participation is part of strategies to grow market share and expand customer reach more customers in the Southern part of the nation. The Group’s well branded pavilion has become the toast of visitors and shoppers at the Fair.

    Companies in the group offering consumer goods at the fair are Dangote Sugar Refinery, NASCON Allied Industries Plc (Dangote Salt), and Dangote Flour Mills while their other stables such as Dangote Cement and Dangote Fertilizer established a help desk.  Some products on display at the fair include sugar, baking flour, wheat & semolina meals, pasta, salt, and seasoning. Dangote Sugar is offering customers different sizes of granulated sugar packs at the fair while NASCON Allied Industries has on display several flavours of the Dan q seasoning range and stew/soup mix.

    Enugu Trade   Fair has become a veritable venue for introduction of new innovations to Dangote products and that visitors to the group’s pavilion will have the opportunity of buying products of these companies at reduced prices.

    Dangote Flour is offering customers a wide range of products at discounted prices. Buyers are going with several gifts as reward for purchasing Dangote Flour products.  For those not ready to purchase whole cartons of te products, there are special packs containing different products.

     

     

  • My refinery will transform Nigeria’s economy, says Dangote

    President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has said his refinery, when it comes on stream, would eliminate fuel scarcity and tranform the nation’s economy for decades.

    The refinery, located in Lekki, Lagos State, is expected to produce 65.4m litres of petrol (PMS) diesel (AGO) aviation jet fuel and kerosene (DKP) daily.

    The petroleum products are planned to meet the needs of Nigerians and most of the African continent.

    Addressing guests at the Dangote Special Day at the 40th Kaduna International Trade Fair, the foremost industrialist said his other businesses- Dangote cement, salt, sugar refineries as well as food products would ensure food security and improve lives for decades to come.

    Alhaji Dangote, who was represented by the Group Executive Director, Strategy and Government Relations, Mansur Ahmed, noted that , the gains of the huge investments in the different sectors by Dangote have moved the nation’s economy forward and complemented government’s effort in no small measure.

    According to Dangote, the Group continues to be the largest employer of labour in Nigeria, with over 50,000 direct and hundreds of thousands indirect employment opportunities.

    “The Rice Mills established in some states, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Enugu, Zamfara, Kano and Niger states would also ensure self-sufficient in rice production. We are doing everything possible to ensure Nigeria moves from an importing country to an exporting country.

    “We have succeeded in making Nigeria exporter of cement, earning hard currencies for the country and contributing in lifting the country from recession.

    REad also: Dangote Group assures Nigerians of good quality products

    “The feat is achievable because of the three Dangote Cement factories at Obajana in Kogi State, Gboko Cement factory in Benue  and Ogun states, because they are not only producing enough cements for local consumption but also for export,” he said

    President of Kaduna Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA)  Dr. Farida Muheeba Dankaka, lauded Dangote Group for its contribution to economic growth.

    Dr. Farida said the huge investments by the conglomerate is responsible for over 10% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP). “KADCCIMA is proud to be associated with the conglomerate,” she stated.

  • How Dangote withdrew $10m cash from bank and put it on bed… just to look at it

    IMAGINE yourself walk  into a  bank, withdraw $10 million cash from your account, put it in your car, head home and spread the whole lot on the bed.

    Well, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, once did that just to look at the cash and convince himself that he is truly rich.

    Dangote himself confirmed his action at the Mo Ibrahim governance weekend in Abidjan.

    “The way it is  is that when you first start business, your target is to make your first million. Fine, I did that,” online publication The Cable quoted him as saying.

    Read also: North will remain poor except… – Dangote

    “After a year or so, I realised that I had much more, and I said ok, fine, all these numbers are just written numbers.

    “One day I went to a bank, and at that time, there were no restrictions, and I wrote a cheque and cashed $10m from the bank and put it in the boot of my vehicle, and I went home and I opened it and I looked at $10m and I said ‘now I believe I have money’.”

    Mission accomplished, Dangote returned the cash to the bank the following day.

    Dangote is reckoned as the 74th richest man in the world with assets worth $16.4 billion.

  • Dangote to boost local refining to 1.095m

    Dangote Refinery will assist Nigeria to achieve the 1.095 million barrels per day (bpd) domestic refining target that will make it be self-sufficient in refined petroleum products.

    Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engr. Bello Rabiu, stated this yesterday at the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    Speaking on ‘Upstream Opportunity in the Oil and Gas Sector’, Rabiu commended the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote for his commitment to the downstream sector.

    According to him, the coming on stream of the Dangote 650,000 bpd Refinery and efforts by the NNPC to revamp the country’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri with total capacity of 445,000 bpd, would help to achieve zero importation of refined petroleum products. Speaking during a technical session on “Infrastructure as a key enabler for opportunities in the oil and gas sector,” the Executive Director, Dangote Group, Ahmed Mansur, said private sector investment and execution capacity in the gas sector needed to complement government’s efforts in the industry.

     

    Mansur said the Dangote Group catalyses private investment to supplement the Federal Government’s onshore gas development agenda. He added that the company is building pipeline infrastructure that would augment the natural domestic gas supply and add an estimated 12,000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity to the power generation capacity.

    Mansur said the first phase of the project is expected to deliver gas for use by Dangote Industries including the proposed fertilizer plant in the refinery complex and other identified industrial and power plant users.

    “The pipeline infrastructure will create a corridor for evacuation of trapped gas from offshore platforms in Nigeria for utilisation and monetisation.

    “The project is expected to improve gas supply security for use by power plants, fertiliser production and other industrial factories. It will complement the existing gas supply system in the country and also complement the Nigerian Gas Master Plan,” he added.

    With works on the refinery being intensified to meet the completion deadline, Mansur said: “We have bought 1026 trucks and tippers to improve the capacity of the local logistics. We have set up the world largest ready-mix concrete capacity at any given location to produce ready mix concrete including 72 concrete pumps and 141 transit mixers since the annual concrete manufacturing capacity in the country is inadequate.”

    He said the company is currently training 200 artisans selected from the Ibeju Lekki host communities in the areas of masonry, carpentry, air condition electricians, plumbing, welders, iron-benders and auto mechanics in collaboration with the Nigerian Directorate of Employment and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Fed Govt, Dangote flag off Ofeme community road reconstruction

    Succour may soon come to  Ofeme Community in Abia State as the Federal Government and Dangote Industries Limited have kicked off the reconstruction of the roads and bridges in the community.

    The reconstruction will be handled by AG-Dangote, a subsidiary of Dangote Industries.

    The project is covered under Executive Order #7 of 2019, titled: ‘’Road infrastructure development and refurbishment investment tax credit scheme’’.

    “Participating investors will use tax credits to reduce corporate taxes payable to government until they recoup the value of their investments in roads and bridges.”

    President/Chief Executive, Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, extolled the Federal Government for the Executive Order #7, which allows private sector intervention in the provision of critical infrastructure.

    Dangote, represented by the Southsouth Regional Director of Dangote Cement, Mr. Okoro George, said a new dawn had come to Ofeme community as the deplorable state of their roads would soon be fixed.

    He explained that the 16-kilometre road would form a ring road around Ofeme and connect it at two points to the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, while the two bridges connecting the town to other communities, would be rebuilt.

    According to him, “the entire road network will be built on concrete pavement instead of earth pavement, which has a lifespan of about 40 years. It will contain drains on both sides while the surface will be made of concrete also instead of asphalt”.

    He added that AG-Dangote has established itself as a reputable construction firm having delivered the 26-kilometre Ibese-Itori concrete road in Ogun State, the two kilometre Apapa-Wharf dual carriage concrete road, the ongoing 43-kilometre Obajana-Kabba concrete road and the 35-kilometre Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway.

    Dangote Group, he said, pioneered the use of concrete for road construction in Nigeria, adding: “Countries that have achieved self-sufficiency in cement production have found it expedient to adopt the construction of concrete roads because they are cheaper, more durable and environment friendly. I believe Nigeria should not be an exception. We must move with the times.”

    He said Dangote Group was ready to partner the government in providing critical infrastructure to lift the people’s living standard.

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing Mr. Babatunde Fashola described the Ofeme Community road network reconstruction as a gigantic project that would open the community and surrounding towns to development.

    The Minister, represented by Federal Controller of Works, Abia State, Mr. Nwankwo Chukwudike, an engineer, said the project on completion, would open up access roads to manufacturing clusters, reduce transportation cost and raise the people’s living standard.

    It would make cheaper and easier movement of produce.

    Ofeme Progressive Union President General Mr Ndubuisi Kanu expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and Dangote Group for selecting his community as a beneficiary of Executive Order #7, adding that Alhaji Dangote had shown so much love to Ofeme people.

    Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah said the administration, desirous of providing critical infrastructure, enacted Executive Order #7, which involves partnering the private sector. He said the road reconstruction project is one of the many development oriented projects coming to the community.

    Chairman of Dangote Cement, Aliko Dangote had earlier made strident calls for adoption of concrete roads in the country. He urged the federal government to embrace the option of using concrete for roads in the country. Aside from being very cheap, he said concrete roads are more durable and that its maintenance cost is near zero.

    According to him:, “We are pushing for Nigeria to do a concrete road. It is cheaper to do a concrete road that will last over 40 years than to do a bitumen road. It will also help in eliminating corruption. The project is for the benefits of the community. It is obvious that the option for concrete roads will be the solution to solve the road infrastructural decay in the country. This is because concrete road is less expensive than asphalt road by almost 23 per cent and also we can build concrete road in less time.

    “Even in terms of maintenance, we don’t need so much resources to maintain it like the asphalt roads. In countries like Brazil, Portugal, India, where they use concrete roads majorly, they don’t have the type of road challenges we have in Nigeria because concrete roads can last for a minimum of 40 years as against asphalt roads that can last for between seven and eight years. So, the good option for the Nigerian government will have to be for them to embrace the use of concrete roads,” he added.