Ayobami Ife
Lafarge Africa, a cement manufacturing company, has doled out N168 million to indigenes and communities in Ewekoro, Ogun State, where its plants and other facilities are sited.
The multinational cement firm spent the N168m on the beneficiaries through granting of N100,000 bursary award each to 187 undergraduate students, empowering 114 adults with funds and trade equipment and empowering 103 farmers with farm tools and high yield seeds and seedlings.
The company also disbursed the money by way of support funds, foodstuffs, drugs, sanitary kits, among others, to 155 aged people, exclusive of other various community projects, cutting across education, health care delivery, economic empowerment.
The beneficiaries were drawn from about 15 communities in Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state, according to Lafarge Africa Country Chief Executive Officer, Michel Puchercos.
Puchercos who made known at the 2018 edition of Lafarge Community Day marked at the weekend for its host communities in Ewekoro,
said the socioeconomic interventions were part of efforts to support the sustained growth and development of its host communities with a view to ensuring mutually benefitted relationship between both parties.
He said: "For the Ewekoro Community in Ogun State, projects launched at the Community Day include a block of five classrooms to the Local Government Nursery and Primary School, Jagunna, Itori and renovated block of four classrooms, offices of head teacher and assistant head teacher with toilets facilities for teachers and pupils at First Africa Mission School, Lapeleke.
"We launched Laboratory equipment at the Health Centre built by Lafarge Africa for Egbado Ajegunle, construction of 14 beds health centres for three communities in Ewekoro and installation of a substation and electrification of Oke Oko Egbado community.
"Also, we have provided agricultural support to farmers while several members of the Ewekoro community also benefitted from economic empowerment programmes.
"To reiterate Lafarge Africa’s commitment to education, over 200 students of higher institutions from the Ewekoro community are beneficiaries of bursary awards."
He lauded state government and traditional rulers of host communities for the leadership they have continued to display, saying “Lafarge Africa’s commitment to the development of local communities remained unwavering.
However, the Baale of one of the host communities, Joshua Oniyitan (Ilufemiloye I) commended Lafarge Africa for its quality host - community relations, describing the projects as a timely intervention.
“We sincerely appreciate the commitment of the management of Lafarge Africa for making sure these projects were completed as they have raised the standard of our children, mothers, our pregnant women, the elderly and the community at large to the next level," he said.
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