Beyond thriving as a fast moving consumer goods firm and industrial conglomerate, Dangote group has said it remains committed to building the economy through the provision of employment opportunities and the establishment of a local supply and value chain to drive economic activities.
Speaking during the Dangote special day at the recently concluded 2021 Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF) organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Halima Aliko-Dangote, Group Executive Director, Commercial Operations, Dangote group noted that the group was one of the biggest employers of labor in the country.
“Our interest goes beyond profit making, to supporting the government in job creation, reducing poverty, and engaging in unprecedented philanthropy,” Aliko-Dangote represented by Rabiu Umar, Group Chief Commercial Officer, Dangote Industries Limited, said.
Speaking on the company’s participation at the LITF, she said that there are hopes that the fair will create new markets and partnerships for the company which will have a cyclic effect on job creation in the country.
“Our expectation therefore is that through this Trade Fair we will be able to further expand awareness for our innovative products, generate sales, get prospective buyers, improve the image of our brands and open up new markets that will further translate to job creation and overall economic development,” she said.
She said that the group which was named Africa’s best brand by Brand Africa 100 will continue to churn out products suitable for industrial and home use.
“The revolutionary impact of our brand will further be seen with the completion of the 650,000-bpd oil refinery. You must have seen farmers excited over our new fertilizer product, which is already in the market, both locally and internationally,” she said.
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Rilwan Yusuf, head of marketing, Dangote sugar refinery also said that in active support of the federal government’s goal of growing the economy, Dangote sugar shares the backwards integration policy (BIP) and ensures that sugar is sourced and produced locally which will create a thriving value chain and boost employment opportunities in the country.
“Our sugar brand is a leader with over 60 percent of the Nigerian sugar industry market share, we provide for both industrial and home consumption that serves well over two million Nigerians,” he said.
Yusuf also highlighted that Dangote’s BIP project runs actively in locations like Numan, Adamawa State, with 32,000 hectares of land and a milling capacity of 50,000 tonnes of sugar per annum and the 78,000 hectares sugar project site at Nasarawa Sugar Company.
Jackson Obazee, regional commercial manager, NASCON allied industries, Lagos announced the conglomerate’s latest market entrant which is the Dansa Mima tomato paste, with 100 percent local sourcing and production.
Obazee noted that the goal is to make Nigeria self-sufficient in tomato and paste production therefore a tomato processing plant located in Kaduna was acquired in 2020, while its N3 billion Greenhouse nursery in Kano designed to process between 300 and 350 million tons of hybrid tomato seedling functions.
Toki Mabogunje, president, LCCI acknowledged the Dangote group as a significant participant in the annual LITF as an exhibitor, sponsor, and partner, adding that the group has been able to cater to the needs of people in several places within the African continent.
“We appreciate the passion of the Group’s leadership in providing solutions to the problems governments have not been able to solve in areas of food sufficiency, housing, and energy. The Group’s operations have created millions of jobs across Africa and contributed immensely to the GDP of many countries,” Mabogunje who was represented by Gabriel Idahosa, Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, LCCI, said.
Mabogunje said the goal of the LITF is to create value by supporting the development aspiration of all exhibitors, hence she advised that Dangote group leverage the platform to link with investors in Africa and across the globe.
