Its Interim Chief Executive Officer, Dr Folakemi Fadahunsi, made the commitment while receiving the 2025 CSR Marble Award for Excellence on behalf of the firm in Lagos.

The award, presented by AS+A Communications, was in recognition of Shoprite’s achievement in supporting social responsibility across various communities.

According to Fadahunsi, beyond trading in communities, RSNL strives to have a positive impact through various programmes that actively address unmet needs and build community resilience.

She said the firm’s sustainability programme centres on gender empowerment, solar panels, food losses and waste, fighting hunger, healthy living, local farming, and supporting entrepreneurs, among others.

According to her, the firm has 25 stores in 14 states, with over 2,000 employees, of which 56 per cent are women.

“We will do our best to continue to contribute to being socially responsible in every way; in the way we handle waste, used cooking oil, packaging, and the way we empower people in different communities”.

She appreciated AS+A Communications for the award, emphasising that RSNL’s sustainability initiatives would continue to engage in impactful activities and charitable initiatives, as well as promoting a clean and healthy environment.

Similarly, Mrs Bunmi Adeleye, Chief Strategy Officer, RSNL, noted that the firm was intentional in its support for women, assisting their reintegration after maternity leave and empowerment of women farmers and businesses.

“If you look at our portfolio of suppliers, we actually work with a lot of women-owned businesses.

“Recently, we came up with a plan to always make sure that the female owners are paid first,” Adeleye said.

She emphasised that the aim was to empower more women to become financially successful and contribute meaningfully to their families and society.

Adeleye said RSNL was passionate about building a sustainable future through the principles of a circular economy by eliminating waste and maximising resources in every step of production and consumption.

Also, Mrs Adenike Shobajo, Chief Executive Officer, AS+A Communications, expressed optimism that recognising organisations’ and individuals’ commitment to CSR would influence others to follow the strides.

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Samande made the call on Saturday at the graduation of the academy’s maiden cohort of artisans held at the Trinity House Centre, Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 15 young professionals who completed intensive training in furniture design, carpentry, and upholstery graduated from Majeurs Academy – a Pan-African furniture manufacturing training institute.

Samande noted that the human capital deficit was a major challenge in Nigeria’s furniture manufacturing industry.

“The average artisan in a manufacturing firm is 42 years old. That tells us we are not training nearly enough young people, nor are we investing in their futures.

“With a 48 per cent youth unemployment rate, this is not just an economic issue; it’s a national crisis.

“When I look at the global manufacturing landscape, I see longevity—companies that have stood the test of time due to the quality of their work.

“That is what we must aspire to in Nigeria,” she said.

She emphasised that Majeurs Academy was born out of a vision to change the narrative by providing world-class training that equips young artisans with the technical and entrepreneurial skills needed to thrive in the sector.

Samande disclosed that the graduates had secured paid internships upon completion of their training, proving that their skills are in demand.

“Our goal is to expand this initiative across Africa, creating a new generation of master artisans who will not only sustain but revolutionize the industry,” she said.

She called on stakeholders, corporate organisations, and the government to support initiatives like Majeurs Academy.

“We cannot do this alone. The future of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector depends on partnerships.

“We need organisations that believe in local talent and are willing to invest in skill acquisition and industrial development,” she said.

Samande restated the firm’s commitment to skill development, youth empowerment, and industrial growth of Nigeria’s furniture manufacturing industry.

Similarly, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Senior Pastor of Trinity House, lauded the academy’s efforts while urging the government to create an enabling environment for young artisans to thrive.

“Our young people are strong, eager, and innovative. They need a conducive Nigeria with great policies and security to thrive.

“If we have many more Majeurs Academies, unemployment will be a thing of the past,” he said.

The valedictorian and best-graduating student, Toroobong Emmanuel, said that as a female, many doubted her ability to excel in furniture manufacturing.

She thanked the academy for providing her with the training needed and confidence to succeed.

Another graduate, Abdulrahman Adegorite, who received a special prize for excellence, said the academy has changed his life in a positive way.

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Ogundoyin said this during the inauguration of the Yaba branch of Sooyah Bistro, on Saturday in Lagos.

According to her, the current economic challenges demand strategic innovation, collaboration, and focus on customer retention through improved service delivery to thrive.

She said Sooyah Bistro, a fast-rising, quick-service restaurant chain, which started in 2018 with a startup capital of N20,000, continues to witness tremendous growth.

Ogundoyin emphasised that the current economic challenges facing many businesses include limited access to funds, high interest rates, Naira depreciation, among others.

She, however, said many businesses still thrived by establishing solid connections through community engagement and leveraging their network to boost patronage of products and services.

Ogundoyin said the restaurant had expanded into 12 outlets as it embarked on a mission of redefining African and international cuisine through the infusion of suya (barbecue) to create nutritious meals.

“Sooyah Bistro’s expansion to Yaba is another dream come true and mission accomplished, we are in the middle of Lagos Metropolitan.

“Yaba is a thriving locality, it’s somewhere we’ve had our eyes on for years. We wanted somewhere very strategic, and we now have a place right on Herbert Macaulay Way.

“We are ready to further explore the business-friendly environment as an indigenous and authentic brand celebrating culture and cuisine with excellent service delivery,” she said.

On hygiene, Ogundoyin emphasised that maintaining high hygienic practices and quality control standards across restaurant outlets was the cornerstone of her business success.

She restated her commitment to continue to work with her teams to provide nutritious menu options that meet various lifestyle choices.

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Our correspondent reports that the resumption from the facility follows the lifting of ‘Force Majeure’ on oil exports due to a blast on a pipeline feeding the terminal on March 3, 2022.

Force Majeure is a legal clause inserted in contracts to shield companies from liabilities in meeting contractual obligations due to circumstances beyond their control.

It was reported that an explosion near the Trans Niger Pipeline, which evacuates crude from oilfields in parts of Rivers and Bayelsa, on March 3 killed 12 suspected oil thieves.

SPDC announced the lifting of the Force Majeure on its oil cargo from the 1.25 million barrels per day terminal in a statement issued by its Media Relations Manager, Mrs Bola Essien-Nelson.

“The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), operator of the SPDC joint venture, has lifted the force majeure on Bonny export programme with effect from Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

“The force majeure was declared on March 3, 2022 following a significant decline in crude receipts at the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal,” the oil firm stated.

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No fewer than fifty public institutions in Nigeria, on Tuesday, pledged their support for the implementation of the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) Project.

Rising from a 1-day Roundtable for Desk Officers of Ecosystem Implementing partners of the Nigeria Digital ID4D project, held at Peniel Apartments, Abuja, the stakeholders described the project as timely, reiterating their willingness to participate in its implementation.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Project Coordinator, Nigeria Digital ID4D project, Musa Odole Solomon, congratulated the desk officers on their nomination by their respective public institutions, reiterating the project’s commitment to working with them.

“Let me start by congratulating you on your nomination as desk officers for the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project. It is a show of the level of confidence the leadership of your respective organisations has in you.”

“This meeting is aimed at explaining the essence of the Nigeria Digital ID4D project, its components, objectives, strategy and expected results, while discussing the roles of the desk officers in the project implementation, among other objectives.”

“The idea of desk officers was to ensure a single point of contact with each of the ecosystem implementing partners, to ensure that our partners do not miss out on any important step in the project implementation.”

“The project is designed, following an ecosystem model, and not limited to any single organisation. It therefore involves different agencies of the government, the private sector and civil society. As desk officers, you are here today because you represent organisations already identified as important ecosystem implementing partners. Our goal is to ensure that no strategic stakeholder is left behind, in this endeavour.”

Also speaking at the event, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission, Engr. Aliyu Aziz commended the Nigeria Digital ID4D project for its intervention and support.

The NIMC Chief Executive, represented by the Director, Corporate Services of the Commission, Ibrahim Abdullahi, informed the stakeholders that the national database has hit about Ninety-Three (93) million National Identity Number (NIN) enrolments.

“The unified ID system approach, as well as the ecosystem model have had tremendous positive impacts on the enrollment figure. Currently, the National Identity Database has over 90 million (93.5m) records, which is a sharp contrast from just 7 million, when I assumed office in 2015.” he said.

He noted that “the primary aim of the strategic roadmap for digital identification in Nigeria, is to simplify the approach to identification through simple data collection process and a centralized unique identification system for Nigeria and legal residents.”

In his presentation on “Duties of Desk Officers in Nigeria Digital ID4D project Implementation,” the project’s Communications Manager, Dr. Walter Duru described the desk officers as the bridge between their respective public institutions and the project, urging them to take their roles seriously.

Also, in his presentation on “Understanding the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project,” Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for the Project Implementation Unit, Dr. Emmanuel Akogun, highlighted the project development objective to the desk officers, even as he urged them to support the project to succeed.

The project’s Change Manager, Ibrahim Salifu, Data and Integration Architect, Sheriff Balogun, Social Safeguards Officer, Seun Adebayo, Grievance Redress Manager, Atana Okon, Legal Desk Officer, Adetunrayo Alao and Stakeholders Engagement Manager, Helen Nkemakolam-Ekeh, took turns to explain the activities of their respective work streams, while seeking the collaboration of the desk officers.

Director, Database at NIMC, Olufemi Fabunmi, while responding to questions from the desk officers said “NIMC will increase its server capacity to 250million from 100 million after a service upgrade.

Highlights of the event were: paper presentations, remarks, interactive session, questions and answers sessions and agreement on next steps.

The Nigeria Digital ID4D is a project, jointly funded by the World Bank, European Investment Bank, and the French Development Agency.

The Project Development Objective is to increase the number of persons with a National Identity Number (NIN), issued by a robust and inclusive foundational Identity system, that facilitates their access to services.

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In a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, the State Government advised the Dangote Group and its image makers to focus on “proving its ‘total ownership’ of Obajana Cement Company rather than chasing shadows”.

In response to a statement issued by the Dangote Group, the commissioner said the Group’s latest attempt to malign the state government in its statement titled, “Dangote not involved in Kogi Assembly Outbreak”, was a desperate one, insisting that the State Government has a “well defined channel of communication that is known to the public”.

Fanwo said the current struggle over the ownership of Obajana Cement Company was not that of an individual but a collective agitation by indigenes of the state who had felt shortchanged for too long as regards the subject matter.

He stated: “We remain resolute on our position on the Obajana Cement Company and that remains the matter to be determined rather than any attempt to drag the state government into any mud fight.

“A few days ago, we released a credible intelligence to the public, of plans by Dangote Group to attack the state and officials of Government, among many other measures at stifling the voice of the Kogi State Government in the ongoing battle for the ownership of the Obajana Cement Company.

“A few days later, our Legislative Complex was razed down by fire. In the official statement of the Government of Kogi State, we called on security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter and make their findings public. We reiterate that anyone found to be involved in burning down the Kogi State Assembly Complex will be prosecuted and made to face the test of justice.”

Fanwo noted that only the truth could resolve the ongoing ownership tussle, maintaining that the State will “not succumb to any psychological warfare.

“We are aware of emails and deliberate harassment of the media to concoct unfounded stories around Kogi State and Governor Yahaya Bello. But this would do nothing to change the facts around the ownership of Obajana Cement Company, which the Kogi people, and indeed, Nigerians, are interested in,” the Commissioner declared.

He pointed out that the struggle was about the good people of Kogi State and also the integrity of the nation.

“It is a battle we need to fight for the generation-next, while also setting a standard of transparent corporate governance.

“The present administration has created a conducive environment for investment and business growth. Many business entities have come into the state to the benefit from our economy and the people and they have very good stories to tell. What we demand here is what belongs to the state,” Fanwo declared.

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…as committee asks govt to revoke CofO

The Kogi State Government on Friday debunked claims by the Dangote Group that Obajana Cement Factory is owned, 100 per cent, by the Conglomerate, insisting that there was no valid acquisition.

The state government also vowed to recover all accrued dividends from profits made over the years by the Dangote Group, including accrued interests on same.

As a first step, the Specialised Technical Committee on the Evaluation of the Legality of the Alleged Acquisition of Obajana Cement Company Plc by Dangote Cement Company Limited has expressly asked the Kogi State Government to cancel the existing seven Certificates of Occupancy.

This was part of the recommendations contained in the report of the 10-man committee, headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. (Mrs) Folashade Ayoade, and submitted to Governor Yahaya Bello of the state.

Reacting to an official statement by the Dangote Group on Friday, the Commissioner for Information in the state, Kingsley Fanwo, said it was important to make it clear to the public that the state had all the relevant documents to prove that the purported acquisition of Obajana by Dangote was null and void.

He noted that Kogi State indigenes would not be intimidated into forgoing their birth rights to any individual or institution, no matter how highly placed, adding that Governor Yahaya Bello was committed to his inaugural promise that his administration “shall exist for the sole purpose of serving the superseding interests of the people of Kogi State”.

“We want to assure the good people of Kogi State that, with God on our side, what belongs to the state shall be recovered, including all dividends and interests on profits from inception till date. The Dangote Group is just distorting facts to save its face,” Fanwo said.

The detailed Committee report, which was made public on Thursday, by the SSG, also charged the government to take steps to recover Obajana Cement Company Plc now changed to Dangote Cement Company Plc.

Ayoade had revealed with documents that the purported transfer of Obajana to Dangote Industries Limited, was “invalid, null and void”.

She disclosed in the report that three Certificates of Occupancy for Obajana Cement Company Plc, which were solely owned by the Kogi State Government at the time, were used to obtain a loan of N63 billion by Dangote.

According to her, the Committee, in view of its findings, has therefore recommended that Kogi State should take steps to recover the Obajana Cement Company from the Dangote Group.

Stressing the aberration in the arrangement, the SSG said, “Agreement between Kogi State Government of Nigeria and Dangote Industries Limited, dated 30th July 2002 and supplemental agreement dated 14th February 2003, as contained in Exhibit 71 of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report, purporting the transfer of Obajana Cement Company Plc to Dangote Industries Limited, are all invalid, null and void.

“There is no evidence of consideration paid by Dangote Industries Limited to Kogi State Government from the alleged transfer of Obajana Cement Company Plc and no dividend was paid to the state from the profits realised from the inception of Dangote Cement Company Plc to date.

“By the assignment of the three certificates of occupancy, the title in Obajana Cement Company Plc, still vests in Kogi State Government as the sole owner. The three documents were used to obtain a loan of sixty-three billion naira only (63,000,000,000.00) to finance the construction of the cement plant in Obajana.”

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Organised Private Sector (OPS) operators under the aegis of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) have berated the Kogi State government over the closure of Dangote Cement, Obajana Plant, describing the action as being hasty.

This is just as Lagos and Abuja branches of the Chamber in separate statements described the action of the state governor, Yahaya Bello as “shocking and disappointing” at the least, regretting that for every day the factory is shut, millions of naira are lost and the reputation of Kogi state takes a negative hit.

NACCIMA expressed regret that the issues between the company and the state over tax dispute ought not to have led to sealing of the company but should have been resolved in a conciliatory and amicable atmosphere.

The body, in a statement signed by its Director-General, Olusola Obadimu and issued in Lagos, said the state government should have trodden a path of caution and called for the immediate reopening of the factory for normal production activities to resume.

Obadimu stated that NACCIMA’s position was based on some key considerations bordering on the impact of the factory’s closure on the economy and thousands of people whose means of livelihood depend on the production activities of the factory.

“It is vital to note that it is a huge production plant that supplies key domestic input (cement) into the economy and employs hundreds of thousands of Nigerians, directly and indirectly. This is aside from its substantial budget for corporate social responsibility outside of taxes.

“Shutting off the factory does not necessarily help the controversial issue of compliance on tax remittable to Kogi state government. Rather a continuous operation of the plant would more likely facilitate a faster resolution of the dispute,” he said.

The NACCIMA boss then urged that the factory be reopened as quickly as possible to enable it continue its operation and fulfil its necessary responsibilities, not just on tax obligations, but also keep the hundreds of thousands of Nigerians in its direct and indirect employment dutifully engaged; while sustaining its crucial services not just to the people and government of Kogi State but Nigeria in general.

The LCCI, in its statement signed by its Director General, Dr Chinyere Almona said the attack on the cement factory reflected the poor handling of investment protection issues in the country.

The Chamber said it believed there are more decent ways to handle regulatory and legislative matters concerning businesses in Nigeria than resorting to violence. According to the Chamber, the invasion of the Dangote Cement Factory by youths that led to the shooting of factory workers is unfortunate, ill-construed, and avoidable.

“We advocate a win-win situation for businesses and the government. We will therefore call on all parties to exercise caution and be protective of jobs, assets of production, and government revenues from corporate organisations like Dangote Cement Factory”, she added.

The LCCI boss noted that the Federal Government and Kogi State Government had hitherto benefited from business revenues and social investments, and added that, “It is therefore expected that the government would be interested in creating an enabling business environment that can attract both local and foreign investors. And where there are infractions, handling such should be in accordance with best practices and the rule of law that protect investors’ rights and human lives.”

The body, therefore, called for a meeting of all government agencies connected with the acquisition of the cement plant to resolve any differences thereof. This process, it said, “can be taken without necessarily shutting down the factory and endangering jobs, products, and government revenues. This point is critical as wrong handling or unprofessional approaches to resolutions can send negative signals to potential foreign investors.”

The Chamber noted that the growing mining industry in Kogi State has benefitted from the production activities of the Dangote Cement Factory, which offers both infrastructural and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects to enhance the standard of living in the State.

“We see a role for the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Nigeria Investment Protection Commission (NIPC), and the Kogi State Government in resolving this issue. We, therefore, expect to see a swift intervention by these agencies toward a win-win resolution”, LCCI advised.

The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a statement signed by its Director General, Ms. Victoria Akai urged the state government to employ dialogue in resolving whatever differences it has with the cement company to protect the image of the state as an investment destination.

She said both the state governor and the owner of Dangote Cement Plc, Alhaji Aliko Dangote are men of peace who should resolve any business dispute through consensus without jeopardizing the multi-billion naira investment and thousands of jobs of Kogi indigenes.

“We therefore call for the immediate re-opening of the factory and commencement of alternative dispute resolution. Dangote Cement is a company with commendable sustainability records. The company has blazed the trail within Nigeria and across Africa.

“Nothing should therefore be done to truncate the growing business at a time other African countries are opening their doors wide for Dangote investment. The factory has been able to take many out off the street thereby reducing unemployment that has been a major problem in the country.

“The closure of the factory will further increase unemployment. It is in the best interest of Kogi state to reopen the factory so as not to scare away local and foreign investors”, the statement noted.

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Meanwhile, members of the mining and host communities have condemned the Kogi State Government for what they described as extra-judicial and unlawful deployment of the Vigilantes to cause chaos in the Obajana community.

The vigilante’s group were led by the state Director-General of Lands; Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security, Commodore Jerry Omodara(rtd), Chairman of Kabba/Bunnu LGA, Chairman of Ijumu LGA, and the State ALGON Chairman, Alh. Taofeek; Senior Special Assistant on Job Creation, Mr Dele Iselewa and Chairman of Lokoja LGA, Alh. Mohammed Dansabe.

Gov. Bello

The vigilante group members were wielding arms of different kinds including local and assorted rifles as residents and passersby scamper for safety.

As at the time of this report some seven staff of the cement company were being attended to at the hospitals over the gunshot wounds inflicted on them.

A source who identified some of the vigilante men as thugs said most of them were drawn from state vigilante and hunters who have been working for the state government.

Mr. David Oluruntoba, spokesman for the Oyo Mining host community described the act as primitive and disgraceful, saying the youths of the community can never be used, and will not take part in such ‘evil practices’.

He said: “They called us to join them. But I told them that the company has not offended us. We just signed a Community Development Agreement (CDA) and the company has been helping us and providing us with jobs. What has the government done for us, nothing. There is no basis to support the government.”

Speaking in the same vein, the spokesman for Iwaa mining community, Rotimi Kekereowo said: “We would never support government on this matter. What have they done for us? We don’t have a single political appointment at the State level. Even when we have problems of electricity and flooding, it was Dangote that was helping us. So, I want to repeat it. We will never support them.”

Speaking also, the Olu of Akpata, Fredrick Balogun said he was never contacted and as such cannot justify the unwarranted invasion.

“We are royal fathers, and we will continue to seek the path of reconciliation and amicable resolution of any misunderstanding. We don’t have issues with the company,” he charged.

Mathew Ojonuga, a resident said important issue like flooding in the state which has rendered many homeless has not been attended to only to be chasing private companies that have been providing us with means of livelihood.

Said he “the state governor should face the issue of flooding and let the people live in peace. If there are issues, let him employ dialogue and resolve it rather this kind of use of force.”

At the main gate, disagreement ensued between the thugs and the few policemen guarding the plant, as they shot sporadically into the air to disperse all staff and Communities members. By this time, the vigilantes have succeeded in locking both entrance and exit gates of the company with many workers stranded.

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Speaking at the formal launch of the Pan-African Payment & Settlement System (PAPSS), which is a centralised payment and settlement infrastructure platform for intra-African trade and commerce payments, in Accra, Ghana, on Thursday, January 13, 2022, Dangote urged Africans to close ranks, in a bid to propel the continent towards charting her own course and being the master of her destiny, to maintain her rightful position on the globe.

Dangote, who was represented at the occasion by the Group Managing Director of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Olakunle Alake, lauded the African Union, under the auspices of the Afreximbank, for the launch of the PAPSS, which he noted was aimed at facilitating payments across the continent.

Olakunle Alake

He asserted that improved trade relations would greatly enhance the speed of recovery across Africa, noting that it had the potential to boost the level of economic activities through intra-Africa trade. He also remarked that the advent of PAPSS would greatly address challenges such as: high-cost, lengthy correspondent banking relationships, delays, among many others, and therefore ease transactions among businesses across Africa.

He equally expressed optimism that PAPSS would enhance the volume of trade among countries, which were hitherto not recorded or were overlooked because of the informal approach towards these transactions.

According to him, these were now captured to reflect the correct or at least close to the appropriate position of trading activities within the continent, while also boosting the level of economic activities across the continent.

Dangote noted the enormous potential and benefits of PAPSS, but nevertheless warned that such projects had their teething issues.

He, therefore, urged regulators and participants across the continent to look beyond any such operational challenges and ensure a successful implementation of the PAPSS.

In thanking all the member countries and organisations who contributed to the success of PAPSS by playing key roles leading to the launch of the project, he invoked the words of Ghana’s first President and Prime Minister, and renowned promoter of Pan Africanism – Kwame Nkrumah, stressing that “The forces that unite us are intrinsic and greater…”

Dangote thus charged African leaders and citizens to continue to promote the continent’s intrinsic greatness through improved trade relations amongst African countries.

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