Lafarge Africa presents N20.4m cheques as bursaries to 204 students in Ogun

As part of effort to improve on education system and guarantee sustainable future for the youths in the communities where it operates across the country, Lafarge Africa PLC has presented N20.4 million cheques as bursaries to 204 students in various higher institutions drawn from 12 communities within its cement plant in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun state.

It also provided economic empowerment and social support to hundreds of people and farmers resident in the communities, distributiong minor farm tools such as hoes, seeds, hoes, cutlasses, fertilizers, refrigerators, tricycles, motorcycles, generators, driers, among equipment to farmers, artisans and elderly people in all the 12 communities.

All these were undertaken in addition to the community health centre built for the people of Elebute; head teacher office, 2 blocks of 6 classrooms, water facility and toilets constructed at Akinbo village; and the renovation of 2 blocks of 4 classrooms undertaken at All Saint’s Anglican Primary school at Itori, all in Lafarge Africa Ewekoro cement plant.

Speaking at the 2017 Lafarge Africa PLC Annual CSR Day held in Ewekoro, Ogun state recently, Michel Puchercos,Country CEO, Lafarge Africa PLC, said, “As you would have noticed, we believe strongly in the education of our youth as the only way to guarantee a sustainable future for them. The nature of our Corporate Social Investments in your community attests to this focus.

“For instance, we have renovated 2 blocks of 4 classrooms at All Saint’s Anglican Church, Itori; we have also built 2 blocks of 6 classrooms, head teacher office, water facility and toilets at Akinbo Village. You may also wish to know that over 200 students in your community have benefited from bursary awards at N100,000 each.

“To demonstrate our support for the health and safety of this community, we have built a community health centre in Elebute. In a bid to improve the quality of produce from our farmlands, we provided agricultural support to farmers.

“In the same vein several people have benefitted from our economic empowerment programmes geared towards improving the quality of life of the people in Ewekoro. Overall – our focus is to meet the needs of the people. If it doesn’t add significant value to the lives of the people, then we do not do it.”

Responding on behalf of Communities in Ewekoro cement plant of Lafarge Africa, Akeem Okediji, Secretary, Ewekoro Youth Council, lauded the cement company for the gesture, but also requested Lafarge Africa “to establish a Skills Acquisition Centre where indigenes would be trained on shoe-making, tailoring, catering and hotel management, hair dressing and barbing, among others.”

RAZAQ AYINLA,  Abeokuta