Dangote • Created June 10, 2019 11:15

Dangote Refinery: Raising the Bar in Host Community Development

As part of industrial reforms, the Federal Government recently initiated the Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Development Bill 2018 (tagged the “Bill” or “Host Community Bill”) with regard to the Nigerian Petroleum Industry. The objective of the Bill is to provide direct social and economic benefits from petroleum operations to host and impacted communities. The Bill seeks to enhance peaceful and harmonious coexistence […]

Dangote Refinery: Raising the Bar in Host Community Development

L-R: Group Executive Director, Capital Projects, Mr. D.V.G. Edwin; HRM, Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and Oloja of Epe, HRM, Oba Kamarudeen Isola Animasahun at a Vocational Training Scheme  ag off ceremony organized by Dangote Oil Re nery and Petrochemicals for youths across host communities in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, recently

As part of industrial reforms, the Federal Government recently initiated the Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Development Bill 2018 (tagged the “Bill” or “Host Community Bill”) with regard to the Nigerian Petroleum Industry.

The objective of the Bill is to provide direct social and economic benefits from petroleum operations to host and impacted communities. The Bill seeks to enhance peaceful and harmonious coexistence between companies on one hand and host and impacted communities on the other.

To ensure that host communities benefit from the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical investment, the company has identified 10 host communities and five neighbouring communities in its areas of operation in Ibeju Lekki. The main host communities are Idasho, Ilekuru, Okeyanta, Magbo-Segun, Okesegun, Itoke, Idotun, Alasia, Okunraiye and Lekki towns, while neighbouring communities are Imobido, Tiye, Mosa, Ilege and Olomowewe.

In this regard, the company unveiled a Corporate Social Responsibility development plan, which is centred around the wellbeing of the people, especially its host communities in Ibeju Lekki. In Ibeju Lekki, the company has executed several projects that are helping to enhance the lives of the people. It has provided boreholes for all the communities, classrooms for the local schools and also awarded scholarships to 51 secondary school students.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and Nigerian Content Development and Management Board (NCDMB), recently kicked off a vocational training programme of the Youth in Ibeju Lekki; a project designed to equip young men and women with trade skills.

This programme is another level of the Dangote Refinery’s intervention as it was targeted at providing vocational skills to the​ teeming youth population in its host communities. Youths are veritable assets in any society and the quality of the youths determines the outlook of tomorrow’s society. Therefore, an investment in developing vocational skills among youths is expected to yield the desired results.

To bridge the gap in Nigeria’s education sector and allow it contribute effectively to economic development, Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals has taken up a proactive measure by embarking on an integrated tripartite approach to boost quality of education in the public schools around its host communities. This approach includes a scholarship programme for students, a Train-The-Trainers Capacity Building Initiative for teachers and school infrastructure projects to improve school infrastructure.

Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals’ in collaboration with NurtureHouse Limited, a company founded to strengthen quality education through enhanced teaching and learning and capacity development of teachers, organised a capacity building programme for Secondary Schools teachers and Principals in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos recently.
The training sessions were delivered using practical, hands-on approach to learning. The sessions provided participants with opportunities to collaborate as well as practice knowledge and skills acquired. At the end of each session, the participants were guided on reflective practices and action planning to encourage implementation of skills acquired when they return to their schools.

Teachers were exposed to 21st Century best practices in “Cognitive Development and Impact on Learning” as well as “Effective Pedagogical Skills”. Personal action plans produced at the end of the two-day Professional Development Programme are expected to motivate the teachers to implement their plans.

Speaking on Dangote Refinery’s transformation agenda for the host communities, Dangote Group’s Executive Director, Capital Projects, Mr. Devakumar Edwin stated: “We believe in wealth creation in our host communities. As our petroleum refining & fertiliser complex comes on stream, it is expected that there will be a population boom in the surrounding communities, which requires the skills and services of the trainees.
The 12th-century philosopher, Maimonides, said the “most meritorious of all, is to anticipate charity by preventing poverty, by teaching him a trade, or by putting him in the way of business, so that he may earn an honest livelihood and not be forced to the dreadful alternative of holding up his hand for charity. This is our philosophy.” Edwin expressed the company’s commitment to the execution of more community development projects, particularly those that would improve the host communities.
Speaking on the mega project, Edwin said the company is building a 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery, which will become the world largest single train refinery on completion. “Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expected to produce 65.4 million litres of Petrol (PMS), Diesel (AGO), Aviation Jet fuel (ATF) and Kerosene (DPK) daily, when it becomes operational. This high volume of PMS output from the Dangote Refinery will transform Nigeria from a petrol import-dependent country to an exporter of refined petroleum products.
“The refinery is being designed to accommodate multiple grades of domestic and foreign crude (including shale oil) and process these into high-quality gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and aviation fuels that meet Euro V emissions specifications, plus polypropylene.
It will include a crude distillation unit, single-train residual fluid catalytic cracking unit, diesel hydro-treating unit, continuous catalyst regeneration unit, alkylation unit, and a polypropylene unit. The project will provide thousands of direct and indirect jobs and add value to Nigeria’s economic development. It will lead to significant skills
transfer and technology acquisition opportunities in the country”, he added.

Speaking on Dangote Refinery’s community development initiative, Imobido Community head, Chief Jegede Lateef, commended the company for siting its refinery and petrochemical plant in the community.

“We appreciate Dangote Industries for its decision to establish a refinery and petrochemical plants in our communities and we believe that the company’s investment will contribute to the development of the community. Dangote is welcome to do his business in our communities and we are fully ready to cooperate with him,” he said. He urged the company to ensure that the various investments translate to infrastructural development and employment opportunities for members of the host communities.

Also, the Head of Tiye Community, Chief Adewale Salami, commended DORC for the various completed and ongoing projects, and promised that the community would always provide an enabling environment for the investment to thrive.

He said the company has done well in enhancing the welfare of host communities and urged it not to relent in its efforts to ensure that jobs are provided for qualified graduates who are indigenes of the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

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