Mr Devakumar Edwin, Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects & Portfolio Development, Dangote Industries, says the group is determined to create millions of jobs across the continent.
This is contained in a statement by Mr Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Dangote Industries Limited, on Thursday in Lagos.
Edwin said that the group would also join hands with the Nigerian government to ensure that all able youth are gainfully employed.
He is quoted as saying these when the West African Students Union (WASU) presented the conglomerate with the “Most Outstanding Company in Africa” award.
The union, according to the statement, commended the aggressive employment generation drive of Dangote Industries Limited.
It also presented an “Icon of Outstanding Visionary Leadership in Africa” award to Edwin.
Edwin said that Aliko Dangote’s desire was to ensure that all able youth were gainfully employed, a goal he was working toward by building his factories across the continent.
“I thank you so much for honouring Dangote Group on the basis of employment generation and my humble self for my personal contribution to the growth and development of the company.
“We will not rest on our oars, we are building more factories across Africa and we will join hands with the government to ensure that all able youth are gainfully employed, in line with our president’s desire,” he said
Earlier, according to the statement, Romans Pillah, WASU President, with his executive members presented the award to Dangote group.
Pillah noted the company’s rapid expansion and employment of thousands of youths across the continent.
He urged other wealthy West African leaders to invest in industries that would rid the region of high unemployment rate.
The students leader described Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Group, as God-sent, to the African continent and lauded him for employing more than 200,000 youths in his companies.
He urged Dangote to prevail on cement distributors across Nigeria to sell a little above the ex-factory price of N2,450.
Pillar flayed the attitude of the distributors and other middlemen, who are instrumental to the rise in the price of cement.
He commended the doggedness and commitment of the Dangote group to the industrialization of the West African sub-region.
“WASU wishes to appreciate the Dangote Group on their corporate social responsibility via scholarship, youth empowerment and building of enduring infrastructure.
“As students, we are mostly scared of our future because of the high unemployment rate in our region, but with a man like Aliko Dangote, we are optimistic and only pray for more Africans like him so as to totally eliminate the high scourge of unemployment in our continent as a whole,” he said. (NAN)
•PHOTO: L-R: Group Chief Branding & Communications Officer, Dangote Industries Limited, Anthony Chiejina; Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects & Portfolio Development, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin receiving an award of “The Most Outstanding Company in Africa” from Diplomatic President, West African Student’s Union (WASU), Comrade Romans Pillah during the West African Student’s Union (WASU) visit to Dangote Industries Head Office in Lagos
