Prompted by zeal to support Nigeria’s government bridging infrastructure deficit, especially as regards roads construction, AshakaCem, a subsidiary of the Lafarge Africa Plc, has begun N700 million pioneer concrete roads tagged, “Maiganga Concrete Road Construction,” located in Kumo, Akko local government area of Gombe State.
According to the company, the N700 million expenditure earmarked for roads construction in Gombe was spent as a follow-up to N156 million which the firm expended on corporate social responsibility in local communities bordering its cement plant in Ashaka and Maiganga Coalmine in 2015, with a focus on education, health care and economic empowerment.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of Maiganga Concrete Road Construction held at the Maiganga Junction, Kumo in Gombe last week, Suleiman Yahyah, the Chairman, Board of Directors of AshakaCem Plc, noted that the initiative, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria, undertaken by AshakaCem Plc as part of its contribution to the socio-economic development of Gombe State in the area of infrastructure.
Yahyah, who spoke at a ground breaking ceremony, attended by Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State, said, ”We are gathered here to witness the ground breaking ceremony of Maiganga concrete road construction, which is an initiative of AshakaCem Plc towards contributing to the socio-economic development of Gombe State in the area of infrastructure.
“Yet another in the series of our community development projects, the Maiganga concrete road stands out as the first of its kind in Northern Nigeria by a corporate entity with management practice of social investment based on the recognition of the impact of touching the lives of the people in the location of its business.
“The cost of the project, which has been awarded to a local contractor known as UNICONTINENTAL Limited is N700 Million. We have concluded all preliminary work and are ready to commence construction immediately, with estimated completion period of 12 months.
“The anticipated benefits of this road are quite enormous, with huge potential to boost economic, agricultural and social activities in this area. The choice of concrete in construction of this road is deliberate, to showcase the innovative capability of LafargeHolcim as being experienced in other parts of the world.”
RAZAQ AYINLA
