The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has commended Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant, for its sustained commitment to community development and food security through its annual farmers’ empowerment initiative.
Speaking through the Ministry’s Mines and Environment Compliance Officer (Southwest), Mr. Mathew Ochimana, during the 2025 Farmers Empowerment Programme held in Ibese, Alake noted that Dangote Cement’s investment in its host communities is fostering economic growth, job creation, and social cohesion.
The latest edition of the programme saw 240 farmers from Ibese and neighbouring communities receive modern farm inputs, including fertilisers, herbicides, raincoats, and boots — all aimed at improving agricultural productivity and livelihoods.
Ochimana urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of the inputs, warning against selling them.
“The essence of this empowerment is to improve yields, not for trading. Selling these items defeats the government’s and Dangote’s joint goal of enhancing food production,” he said.
In his welcome address, the Plant Director of Dangote Cement, Ibese, Mr. Ayyagari Subbaraidu, said the company’s efforts were part of a broader commitment to sustainable development.
> “We provide modern farm inputs to help farmers cultivate both subsistence and cash crops on a larger, more efficient scale. This is about helping communities grow economically while ensuring food security,” he said.
Tagged “Planting to Profit: Good Agricultural Practices for Cassava and Maize,” the empowerment scheme is one of several corporate social responsibility programmes being implemented under the current Community Development Agreement signed in 2022.
According to Subbaraidu, over 600 acres of farmland have already been cultivated through the support provided to farmers over the years.
This year’s beneficiaries received:Three 50kg bags of NPK fertiliser :Two 50kg bags of Urea fertiliser ;Three litres of Force-Up herbicide ;and One raincoat and a pair of rain boots
Subbaraidu emphasized that “every bag of cement manufactured by Dangote Cement comes with social value for our host communities.”
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of Yewa South Local Government, Mr. Olusola Akinbode, applauded Dangote Cement for complementing government efforts in agricultural development.
“Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration is targeting food sufficiency in Ogun. Dangote Cement’s support through fertilisers and farm tools brings that dream closer to reality,” he said.
He added that the local government had distributed 11,000 cash crops to farmers in June and hopes to scale up the initiative to 60,000 crops by 2026.
Chairman of the Community Joint Consultative Committee (CJCC), Mr. Dayo Ogunyinka, described the initiative as a “perfect intervention” that addresses both food security and economic growth.
Some of the beneficiaries also expressed gratitude for the support. Mrs. Iyabo Akintan from Ijako Orile community said the gesture would “uplift farmers and lead to better yields.”
Another farmer, Mr. Olaleye Adekunle, described the inputs as “morale-boosting,” noting that “working in both rain and sun is now less of a burden.”
The programme wrapped up with a training session for the beneficiaries on how to maximise yields using the distributed farm inputs.
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