Dangote Cement Plc says it has commissioned and handed over several multi-million naira rehabilitated education infrastructure in Lagos Island, a gesture that will benefit 2,500 pupils.
Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Arvind Pathak, in a statement on Sunday in Lagos, said the initiative was part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibilities.
Pathak said the company’s projects were designed to contribute to society’s well-being in the areas of education, healthcare, economic empowerment and infrastructure development.
He said the projects included installation of 5kva solar power source to power the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) centres at Kuramo Junior College, Victoria Island; Victoria Island Senior school, and Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Obalende, Lagos.
He added that the cement company rehabilitated and equipped the school library of Girls Junior Secondary School Obalende with furniture and renovated bookshelves, staff room of Kuramo Senior college, Victoria Island.
“The choice of these projects was arrived at on need basis through a participatory process of engagement with the schools.
“Each of the schools identified the most pressing need which were then jointly scoped for execution.
“Dangote Cement ensures that every year, its cement plants in Nigeria and across Africa executes various development projects and programmes to improve the quality of life of neighbours and host communities.
“As a company, we believe that the onerous task of providing quality education to our teaming youths cannot be over emphasised and should not be left to government alone.
“As education is the bedrock of any meaningful development, we believe in partnership with the government to deliver quality education to our teeming youths.
“We shall therefore continue to complement the efforts of the various levels of government to improve the quality of life of our people in the four thematic areas earlier identified,” he said.
Tutor-General and Permanent Secretary, Education District 3, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Dr Idowu Oyetola, lauded the company for its intervention via the provision of education infrastructure.
She said that Dangote Cement’s gesture aligned with Lagos State Government’s policy of leveraging Public Private Partnerships to upgrade and provide education infrastructure.
Oyetola charged the teachers and students to make good use of the facilities.
Principal, Kuramo Senior College, Lawal Babatunde, thanked the management of Dangote Cement for selecting his school as one of the beneficiaries of the intervention.
He said the gesture had helped to create a more comfortable staff room for the teachers.
