Dangote Cement Ibese Hosts Capacity Training for Host Community Leaders
By Patience Ikpeme
Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese Plant, has once again demonstrated its commitment to community development and local content strengthening by holding its 2025 Annual Capacity Development Workshop for community representatives. The training, which took place in Ogun State, brought together over 50 participants from the plant’s host communities, including officials from Yewa North and Ewekoro Local Government Areas.
The workshop, themed “Engagement and Advocacy Skills: Critical Tools for Community Representatives,” was designed to equip participants with practical tools for effective dialogue, community engagement, and advocacy. The initiative reflects the plant’s broader strategy of fostering inclusion and mutual understanding with its surrounding communities.
Speaking during the opening session, Mr. Aina Olugbenga, Head of Human Asset Management and Administration at Dangote Cement, Ibese, commended the participants for their commitment to peaceful coexistence and their contributions to maintaining stability in the area.
“The dedication and selfless service you have shown have been central to the peace and development being enjoyed by all stakeholders here,” Olugbenga said. “It is our hope that the lessons from this training will strengthen your capacity to act as catalysts for growth, both within your communities and in your relationship with the Plant.”
Also addressing the gathering, Mrs. Ololade Akiyode, Director of Community Development at Yewa North Local Government, urged the representatives to continue using dialogue and cooperation as tools in their engagement with the company. She described the collaboration between the Ibese Plant and its communities as “a model of sustainable development driven by effective engagement, understanding, and collaboration.”
In a vote of thanks on behalf of the participants, Hon. Dayo Ogunyinka expressed appreciation to the management of Dangote Cement for consistently investing in the capacity development of local communities. “This training is not just about skill acquisition; it also helps build a bridge of trust and cooperation between us and the company. We remain committed to representing our communities effectively and in ways that support the growth of all parties involved,” he said.
Participants in the training included youth leaders, women group representatives, traditional stakeholders, and local government officials—making it one of the most inclusive editions of the programme to date.
The annual capacity development workshop is just one part of a broader set of interventions by the Dangote Cement Ibese Plant. The company runs a series of empowerment and development programmes designed to reduce unemployment, promote self-sufficiency, and raise living standards in its host communities.
These initiatives include Skills Acquisition Programmes, offering hands-on training in areas such as domestic electrical installations, tailoring, and catering. Graduates of these programmes receive start-up kits to enable them to launch their own businesses.
In the area of Economic Empowerment, the plant supports trainees with tools and equipment post-training, facilitating small enterprise growth and local economic development. Community Development efforts target the root causes of poverty and unemployment, contributing to improved socio-economic outcomes across the host communities.
The Ibese Plant also supports Education through scholarship schemes for academically gifted and financially challenged students, while offering Leadership and Conflict Resolution training for community leaders to enhance governance and mediation capacity at the grassroots level.
These interventions align with global priorities such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focusing on poverty reduction, zero hunger, quality education, and sustainable community development.
Dangote Cement’s approach to host community engagement has been widely regarded as a model within Nigeria’s manufacturing and industrial sectors. With initiatives like the annual capacity workshop, the company continues to demonstrate a long-term vision for shared prosperity between its operations and the communities in which it operates.
