The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Daisi Elemide, has commended the Chairman of the Dangote Group of Industries, Aliko Dangote, for creating jobs for the teeming population and prioritising investments for nation-building.

The speaker made this known during the 2025 Annual Community Day organised by Dangote Cement, Ibese, to appreciate its 17 host communities.

Elemide said that if well-endowed individuals in Nigeria had followed the same path as the industrialist, the country’s unemployment challenge would have been largely addressed, while the “japa” syndrome would have been significantly curtailed.

The annual celebration, which had representatives from the 17 host communities in attendance, featured the presentation of scholarships worth N15.72 million to 120 students, 25 laptops to youths trained in ICT, as well as grinding machines to 40 women, among other items.

Elemide said, “I must give it to Dangote in the area of employment. If all our rich people and billionaires can stay in Nigeria and establish companies that provide jobs for our youths, I know that the ‘japa syndrome’ will be reduced.
“I really appreciate Dangote in this regard, and I sincerely hope that others will take a cue and prioritise investments that are crucial to supporting employment generation for our teeming population.”

He urged the company to improve its commitment to sustainable development and address any practices that are not environmentally friendly.

He explained that there was a need for the company to tackle the challenge of indiscriminate parking by some of its trucks, which often causes traffic gridlock.

Elemide also commended Dangote for supporting its host communities, noting that such gestures would continue to strengthen cordial relations, even as the company thrives and contributes to the country’s economic development.

Earlier, the Plant Director of Dangote Cement, Ibese, Anuj Gupta, said the Community Day had become a strategic feature of the company’s annual stakeholder engagement calendar, helping to foster inclusion and partnership with host communities.

Gupta said the platform provided an opportunity to reflect on the company’s social stewardship over the year through the presentation of a comprehensive account of its corporate social investments.

According to him, the annual event also offers an opportunity to bond, celebrate the richness of the host communities’ culture, and appreciate partners and collaborators whose contributions have been invaluable to the company’s progress.

He explained that while the company continues to rely on the sustained support of its host communities and other partners in safeguarding the well-being of its business, it remains firmly committed to contributing meaningfully to the growth and development of the host communities.

The Head of Social Performance of the company, Ademola Ojolowo, said that for 2025, the company planned to implement 27 projects aimed at enhancing the well-being of the host communities.

Ojolowo said 10 of the projects, spanning electrification, skills acquisition, ICT training, and the construction of schools and health centres, had been completed, while 13 others were about 90 per cent completed.

He disclosed that the company was already constructing a trailer park to address the challenge of indiscriminate truck parking, noting that the situation had improved compared to previous years.

Meanwhile, the Aboro of Ibeseland, Oba Rotimi Mulero, while lauding the cement company for its support to the host communities, called on the company to increase its corporate social responsibility budgetary allocation in view of the current economic realities in the country.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, as of mid-2024 and extending into 2025, Nigeria’s employment situation is characterised by a low official unemployment rate alongside significant challenges, including a predominance of informal employment, high underemployment, and persistent skills mismatches.