It was the same at the host communities to Dangote Granite and Mines in Ijebu-Igbo as the beneficiaries turned up in large numbers at the Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo palace and that of Sopenlukale of Oke-Sopen where the bags of rice were distributed to the deserving populace.

Aboro of Ibese, Oba Rotimi Mulero, and his counterpart in Itori, the Olu of Itori, Oba Abdulfatai Akamo, were full of praises for the chairman of the foundation, Aliko Dangote for his magnanimity in ensuring food security in the host communities and thereby reducing hunger among their people.

While presenting bags of rice to some of the beneficiaries in Ibese, Oba Mulero explained to the people that the initiative was focused on reaching out to the aged, people living with disabilities and other vulnerable groups facing hardship in the face of current biting economic climate.

He stated that beyond the rice distribution, there had existed a longstanding collaboration between the host communities and the ADF on one hand and the Dangote Cement on another hand, especially in the areas of empowerments and capacity building.

He also acknowledged ADF’s consistent corporate social responsibility efforts, particularly towards host communities.

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Said he: “We all were here last year, we are also here this year, for distribution of food items. Let me on behalf of the community which I am the prescribing authority over, appreciate the management team of Aliko Dangote Foundation for this gesture. We would continue to pray that the organization continue to flourish. Last year, I called this exercise “Operation Feed the Nation” which we have witnessed some years ago in the country. We are seeing Alhaji Aliko Dangote reintroducing the programme with this yearly rice distribution exercise. We are proud of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Dangote Group and Aliko Dangote Foundation.

“With this gesture, God will continue to strengthen the managements of Dangote Foundation, Dangote Cements especially Dangote Cement, Ibese plant. You can see that our people have turned out in their thousands, waiting to get the item, when we started sharing, you saw the smiles on the faces.”

Earlier in his remarks, representative of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Victor Edero, said the foundation’s food inflation intervention was designed to complement the government’s food security efforts toward distribution of food items to all the 774 local government areas across the country.

He explained that the economic downturn had made it increasingly difficult for many Nigerians to afford basic staples like rice, making such support crucial.

He added that the foundation gave priorities to the host communities, especially Ibese that’s hosting cement factory and other host communities.

Mr Ejiro reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to capture its target audiences like the vulnerable, downtrodden and aged, while urging for fair and equitable distribution to ensure all targeted beneficiaries get their share.

In their appreciations, some of the beneficiaries lauded the initiative, stating that it was a clear example of how public-private partnerships can be harnessed to ease people’s burdens and promote inclusive development.

Earlier, the Olu Itori thanked Alhaji Dangote for counting Itori worthy of benefitting from the food intervention programme, given that the Cement Plant in the area is still under construction and that his people will give all necessary cooperation to ensure the plant takes off smoothly.

He described the construction of the plant as a fulfilment of long time promise made to his people that he would ensure a notable company was established in his domain through which the people could be gainfully employed and the economy of the community turned around.

It would be recalled that the Aliko Dangote Foundation under its National Food Intervention Programme had last week distributed 40,000 thousand 10kg bags of rice across the twenty local government areas of Ogun State.

The post Aliko Dangote Foundation’s free rice excites host communities appeared first on Frontpageng.

He also said two new lines with a capacity of 6.0 million metric tons per annum, Mta, for the cement plant was being constructed at Itori.

Addressing the Ogun State Executive Council led by the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, during a courtesy visit, to the governor in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Dangote said he had decided to return and invest in Ogun State because of the Prince Dapo Abiodun administration’s vision and deliberate policies that focus on attracting investors, as well as the investor-friendly climate that exists in the state.

He said Ogun State was one of the most attractive investment destinations in Nigeria, positioning itself as the manufacturing ‘bedrock’ of Nigeria.

According to him: “We had earlier abandoned our vision of investing in the Olokola Free Trade Zone (OKFTZ), but because of your policies and investor-friendly environment, I want to say we are back and will work with the state government to return to Olokola, and plans are underway to construct the largest port in the country,” he pledged.

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“I would especially like to commend, in a special way, my good friend and brother, Your Excellency, the governor of Ogun State, for your vision and deliberate policies that focus on attracting enterprises through immense support for the private sector, which is now attracting investors.

“Our factory at Itori was pulled down twice. When we started the second time, they not only demolished the factory but also the fence, so we left. But right now, because of His Excellency, our governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, we are back. When you visit the factory, you will be surprised at what we have done.

Giving an update on the company’s ongoing projects in the state, Dangote said two new lines with a capacity of 6.0 million metric tons per annum for the cement plant were being constructed at Itori, while the 12 million metric tons per annum cement plant was also located at Ibeshe.

Upon completion, Dangote assured, the total capacity of the company’s cement plants in the state would be in the neighborhood of 18 million metric tons per annum, making it the highest cement-producing state or region in Africa.

“With the contributions of other cement producers in the state, Ogun remains far ahead of other countries across Africa in terms of cement production,” he said.

Dangote Cement, according to the Dangote Group president, is the leading cement producer in Africa with a capacity of 52.0 million metric tons per annum across the African continent.

He added that 70 per cent of the production was carried out in Nigeria, with the Obajana plant in Kogi State accounting for 16.25 million metric tons per annum, the largest in Africa.

He said investment in the manufacturing of the product had made the nation self-sufficient in cement, just as the country is now self-sufficient in fertilizer, with the surplus going to the export market, thus earning the nation the needed foreign exchange.

While noting that the company’s target is to make Nigeria self-sufficient in whatever it consumes, Dangote informed that the company was at that moment meeting domestic demand for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from its 650,000 barrels per day refinery at Ibeju-Lekki, as well as refined aviation fuel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Nigeria, he said, was a growing economy; hence the need for private companies to complement government efforts, assuring that his company would continue to demonstrate its belief in the nation and its people by making investments targeted at transforming the nation’s economy.

He appreciated traditional rulers and the people of Itori for their support and partnership, which enabled the smooth and speedy take-off of the cement plant, adding that the encouragement from the people of Yewaland had fostered smooth operations, assuring continued adherence to its Corporate Social Responsibilities to the host communities.

Responding, Governor Abiodun described the day the Dangote Refinery groundbreaking was performed in Lagos as “the day of heartbreak for the sons and daughters of Ogun State as they watched helplessly on television,” saying it was an indication that the project had left Olokola.

He said: “I want to thank you for coming back to Ogun State and also for your belief and trust in your country, Nigeria. I want to thank you for all that you have done, the number of people you have employed, and the impact you continue to make not just in this state, but in Nigeria as a whole.

“The way you selflessly continue to promote this country all over the world, we can’t thank you enough. Your life and story continue to be an inspiring narrative for all young men. You have excelled in everywhere you touch; you have the Midas touch.

“These are indeed giant strides. For us in Ogun State, we welcome your return to the state. Today is a historic day, March 17, 2025, the same March when you did the groundbreaking in Lagos for the refinery, and you are now coming back in the month of March to Ogun State.

“Not only have you chosen to complete Itori, but you have also chosen to come back and develop the biggest port in Nigeria. For this, I thank you.”

Abiodun emphasized that with the establishment of the Itori cement plant, proposed to produce six million metric tons of cement per annum, and the existing Ibeshe plant, producing 12 million metric tons, cement production in the state would total 18 million metric tons per annum, making it the largest cement producer in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.

The governor lauded the company for not shirking its Corporate Social Responsibilities to the host communities, just as it is currently constructing the Inter-change-Papalato-Ilaro road, assuring that his administration was ready to work with the company for the good of the state and the nation as a whole.

Dangote and his team later led the governor to the new cement plant under construction at Itori.

The team was received by traditional rulers from host communities in Yewaland led by Olu of Itori, Oba Abdulfatai Akorede Akamo who praised Dangote for his patriotism as displayed in his many investments which led massive job creation and community development

The governor and Dangote entourage also inspected the ongoing Papalanto concrete paved road being constructed under the tax credit scheme of the federal government.

The post Dangote to build six Mta cement plant in Itori, seaport at Olokola appeared first on Frontpageng.

The agreement was signed by the Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc, Aliko Dangote, alongside the Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects & Portfolio Development, DIL, Devakumar Edwin, while China Sinoma Engineering was represented by its Group President, Yin Zhisong, and the company’s Chairman, Liu Renyue.

Dangote, speaking at the signing ceremony, said that new integrated cement plant at completion would strengthen the local production capacity of Dangote Cement, bringing its local capacity to 41.25 million tons per annum and total African capacity to 57.6 million tons per annum.

He said the Itori Cement Plant would also increase Nigeria’s capacity to export cement, thereby enabling more diversification and foreign exchange inflows for the economy.

According to Dangote, the project was further expected to develop the domestic economy through creation of thousands of indirect and direct jobs and drive economic development in the Itori axis.

Ancillary businesses, he stated, would be drawn to the axis, which would be seeking to take advantage of the location of the cement plant to provide goods and services to staff, contractors and other stakeholders.

He added that constructing the new cement plant was in line with Dangote Group’s vision of producing locally goods that were formally imported despite the abundance of raw materials for local production of such goods.

He described Sinoma as a strategic partner which had been instrumental to the success of key projects in Dangote Group.

He said, “We are comfortable working with your company. You have handled some of our key projects and I am positive that this project will be completed as scheduled.”

Group President of China Sinoma Engineering, Yin Zhisong, expressed satisfaction with the commitment and determination of the Dangote Group in building cement plants across Africa.

He said: “It is an honour for us to build another cement plant for Dangote Group. We are proud and happy to be on this journey with the company again.”

When operational, the plant is expected to have two Lines x 6,000 TPD Clinker Production with an installed daily total capacity of 12,000 TPD of Clinker production.

It is expected to be completed within 27 months with best-in-class equipment in the cement industry, sourced from Europe’s major equipment suppliers.

The plant will have its own captive power plant to generate electric power for use by cement kilns and other production processes.

The Itori Cement Plant will be Dangote Cement’s fourth cement plant constructed as a green field project in Nigeria, the rest are Obajana, Ibese and Okpella Plants.

Dangote Cement is Africa’s leading cement producer with 51.6Mta production capacity across Africa with Nigeria accounting for 35.25Mta.

Obajana plant in Kogi State, Nigeria, is the largest in Africa with 16.25Mta of capacity across five lines; Ibese plant in Ogun State has four cement lines with a combined installed capacity of 12Mta; Gboko plant in Benue state has 4Mta; and Okpella plant in Edo State has 3Mta.

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It however said the unidentified security operatives were not policemen.

The position of the police command was made known in a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesman, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi.

The police added too that contrary to the news making the rounds that the truck driver dead, he was receiving treatment in an hospital.

The statement reads in part: “The command, for clarification purpose wishes to state that the perpetrators of the dastardly act though they are security operatives are not policemen, and that the victim contrary to what many news media reported is alive and currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, has visited the victim in the hospital and he has vowed to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to book within the shortest possible period, because the action is a flagrant display of impunity which has no place in our laws.”

The command said police operatives were already on the trail of “those security operatives who shot the harmless victim, and their identity will be made known to the public as soon as they are apprehended.”

The statement by the police reads in full:

“The attention of Ogun State police command has been drawn to various news headlines in both online and print media in respect of the unfortunate incident which happened in Itori area of Ewekoro local government on Monday 27th of June 2022, in which a truck driver was shot by yet to be identified security operatives.

“Most newspaper as well as online platforms have reported that the victim was shot by policemen and that the said victim had given up the ghost.

“The command, for clarification purpose wishes to state that the perpetrators of the dastardly act though they are security operatives are not policemen, and that the victim contrary to what many news media reported is alive and currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, has visited the victim in the hospital and he has vowed to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to book within the shortest possible period, because the action is a flagrant display of impunity which has no place in our laws.

“The command therefore wishes to appeal to men of the pen profession to always verify their information before going to press in order not to misinform and mislead members of public

“The general principle of “if you are in doubt leave out” which is one of the basic ethics of journalism needs to be strictly adhered to.

“Meanwhile, the command on the order of the Commissioner of Police CP Lanre Bankole, is already on the trail of those security operatives who shot the harmless victim, and their identity will be made known to the public as soon as they were apprehended.”

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The suspects, according to the spokesman of Ogun police command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, were some of those who went on rampage when a suspected smuggler’s vehicle who they believed was being chased by men of Nigeria Customs knocked down a motorcycle rider and the victim died instantly.

He explained further: “The hoodlums immediately went berserk and started vandalising vehicles of innocent passersby.

“After setting ablaze some vehicles, the hoodlums moved to a popular hotel in the area where officers of Nigeria Customs used to lodge and started looting and vandalising the hotel.

“Immediately a distress call was made to the police, the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, deployed men of special squad to the scene to collaborate with policemen from Ewekoro and other adjoining stations to bring the situation under control.

“On getting to the scene, the hoodlums who attacked the policemen by throwing stones at them were eventually subdued and thirteen amongst them were apprehended.

“The Commissioner of Police who was at the scene for on the spot assessment has vowed to make example of those arrested for others to know that it was barbaric to take laws into one’s hand.

“He therefore directed that others who took part in the dastardly act must be hunted for and brought to book.”

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The two suspects met their waterloo when policemen in Ewekoro divisional headquarters received an information at about 7:30 a.m. that some armed hoodlums with face mask were sighted hibernating in a bush at the back of ICT Polytechnic, Itori.

That was coupled with the fact that many suspected kidnappers had been traced to the same forest before.

The anti-robbery team of Ewekoro division was quickly dispatched to fish out the hoodlums.

On sighting the policemen, the gang opened fire on them and the policemen engaged them in gun battle which lasted about 40 minutes.

At the end of the encounter, two members of the syndicate were gunned down while others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.

Recovered from them are one locally fabricated shot gun, two live cartridges, two battle axes, empty shells of AK 47 riffle ammunition, three android phones, two small phones, 8 pairs of slippers and two school bags.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Awolowo Ajogun, who commended the gallantry display of his men, had warned criminals to stop testing the will power of the command under his watch.

He said doing so would continue to spell doom for them.

The CP also directed a massive manhunt for the fleeing members of the gang.

He therefore reiterated the stand of the command to roll out all in its arsenal to wage war against crime and criminality in order to make Ogun State free of violent crime.

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