Our priority is to eradicate youth unemployment – Dangote
Dangote Group’s Executive Director, Commercial Operations, Hajia Fatima Aliko-Dangote, has reiterated the company’s determination to eradicate the high youth unemployment in the country. She said, it is only when youths are positively engaged, that the high insecurity problems in the country will fade away.
Fatima, who made this disclosure at the just concluded Lagos International Trade Fair during the “Dangote Day”, said since inception, Dangote’s desire is to assist the three tiers of government in the country, in eradicating poverty, adding that the best way for the Group to do this, will be to contribute to eradicating youth unemployment in the country.
Noting that Dangote is the highest employer of labour in Nigeria, outside the federal government, she said, the priority of the Group is to create more employment opportunities for the teeming Nigerian youths and make them breadwinners of their respective families.
According to her: “The desire of our President, Aliko Dangote, is to ensure that Nigerian youths are ably employed, because it is only when this happens, that they can also contribute their own quota to the growth and development of the county. And once the youths are also positively engaged, the security challenges of the country will abate.”
Fatima, further said the Group is passionate about deepening the Nigerian economy through industrialisation, job creation, provision and rehabilitation of essential infrastructure, and the welfare of the citizens. According to her, “It is the desire to promote industrialisation that informs our decision to become strategic partners with all the major Chambers of Commerce across the nation.”
She also said, “Our investment decisions at Dangote Group, are focused on creating values for all stakeholders. We have invested in several projects which are meant to create jobs and enhance the rapid industrialisation of the Nigerian economy. Dangote Cement Plc remains the continent’s foremost cement producer, with operations in 10 African countries,” she stated.
Reacting to what Fatima Aliko Dangote said, Dr Micheal Olawale-Cole, President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said Dangote Group has created jobs more than any known private sector operators in the Country.
He said the foremost indigenous conglomerate has contributed significantly to providing solutions to the problems of unemployment and by extension, to reducing the poverty levels among Nigerians.