Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Dangote Fertiliser Limited have donated school materials valued at N241 million to 3,704 students across host communities in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, as part of their ongoing commitment to education and community development.

The initiative, unveiled during the sixth edition of the Dangote Scholarship Award Programme, saw the distribution of school bags, uniforms, sandals, and sanitary materials to 1,348 primary school pupils in five schools, as well as 2,356 secondary school students across four schools.

The intervention is aimed at improving access to quality education and enhancing the learning environment for students in the host communities.

At the event, the Vice President, Oil and Gas, Edwin Devakumar, reaffirmed the Dangote Group’s belief in education as a catalyst for societal transformation.

He noted that since the launch of the scholarship scheme in 2019, the programme had steadily expanded in both reach and impact, supporting hundreds of students yearly, despite a pause in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Executive Chairman of Lekki LCDA, Rasaki Bamidele Kasali, lauded the interventions, describing them as impactful and timely.

While appreciating the support to the 15 host communities, he appealed to the company to extend similar initiatives to neighbouring communities.

The Onilekki of Lekki Land, Oba Kazeem Olumuyiwa Ogunbekun, also expressed appreciation for the company’s consistency, noting that its interventions had positively impacted livelihoods and strengthened community relations.

Beneficiaries of the programme also expressed gratitude for the opportunity. For instance, one of the City & Guilds of London graduates, Yusiot Taiwo, described the initiative as life-changing, noting that it provided a pathway to employment with Dangote Fertiliser.