News
Dangote Unveils Waste-to-Wealth, Recycling, Tree Planting Initiatives
As part of activities marking the 2019 Global Sustainability Week, employees of the pan-African conglomerate, the Dangote Industries Limited flagged off an environment focused initiative tagged “Waste to Wealth initiative”, focused on managing waste disposal while generating income and giving back to communities wherein we operate.
The Company marked the Sustainability Week with the theme: “Our Community, Our Passion” with various activities held in the Lagos and across its Business Units and plants. These activities focused on investment programmes directed towards turning waste to wealth, and reviving reading culture in young children in host communities.
In Lagos, over 200 Sustainability Champions and employee volunteers across the business units, assisted five international facilitators to train the children on turning the most insignificant materials and waste in the environment into tangible assets of economic value to the nation.
Dangote employees took the initiative to St. George Primary School and Aunty Ayo International School in Ikoyi, where the facilitators, with additional help from the volunteers, trained the children on how to manage their wastes and create sustainable products that are marketable from their everyday generated wastes.
Speaking on the initiative, the Group Chief Sustainability and Governance, Dangote Industries Limited, Dr. Ndidi Nnoli, said the company’s sustainability approach is driven by a desire to contribute and impact positively towards the development of host communities and the society at large.
According to her, the 2019 Sustainability Week is directed towards safeguarding the environment by educating the host communities on how to turn waste to wealth to achieve sustainable development.
She said, “We chose St. Georges School because the school is a neighbour to Dangote Head Office building in Ikoyi. Charity begins at home. We started to engender the sustainability culture as an employee volunteering initiative. We honestly believe that people are at the centre of any organisation and sustainability needs to begin with the individual person. It is a culture in Dangote to celebrate the sustainability week every year and this year we decided to bring it to a neighbouring school”.
“It is so important that we bring the initiative to the schools around us because we need to be very concerned about our children, their future, and most especially, education outside the classroom. We need to be concerned about educating our children on sustainability beyond the definition”, she added.
Nnoli disclosed that the company brought international artists to educate the employees that the type of waste that can easily be thrown into the trash can, could be transformed into usable items. “We have people making bangles and pencil cases out of waste plastics. We also have literacy session, mentoring and above all, we are learning about why it is necessary to hunger for knowledge”.
She noted that the Dangote Group has a responsibility to the environment and the society. “We are looking for ways to ensure that value is added to things around us. We have many volunteers who are so eager to learn and impact knowledge to the children. The children are also very excited to learn on new ways to transform the environment.
“For us at Dangote, it is social responsibility and also corporate services, but in this case, the employees have volunteered to carry out this initiative. But the organisation has given us the license to do whatever we want to do. So, as Dangote employees, we have chosen to stand for sustainability, we stand for social development and we stand for the education of a child”, she said.
Giving insight into the programme, the Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Dangote Cement Plc, Dr. Musa Rabiu, said the company’s intention was to create an environment “where we keep improving on how we operate and interact with the environment and regarding people as the most valuable assets”.
He said the company organised the programme to touch the hearts and minds of children who are the next generation by teaching them how to re-use trash.
Rabiu said the initiative was all about reigniting children’s creative ability through innovation by leveraging on technology. “We need to let them know that managing the environment in terms of creativity and innovation is key. With this knowledge, the children are expected to grow up and be conscious of how they can re-use materials in the environment”, he added.
General Manager, Sustainability, Dangote Cement Plc, Eunice Samson, said the company’s intention was to ensure that Dangote employees key into the Group’s vision and volunteer to reach out to the local communities through value addition.
She said the theme for this year’s Sustainability Week “Our Community, Our Passion, the Dangote Way” was a way to make the host community to begin to see the social side of Dangote. “So, for Dangote, it is not always all about business; we also care about the wellbeing of our host communities. With this programme today, we have been able to reach out to over 600 pupils from St. George Primary School and Aunty Ayo International School, Ikoyi, Lagos.
“What we are trying to do is to ensure that we clear the environment of waste by turning it into wealth. We have over 200 Dangote employees who have volunteered to assist the facilitators to teach the children how to turn waste to wealth. The children have been taught how to turn waste plastic bottles into pencil cases, bangles, piggy banks, as well as using used Dangote Cement bags to create gardens” she added.
Speaking also at the event, the Managing Director of African Creative Hub, Jumoke Olowookere, said her responsibility was to teach the participants on how to create a sustainable world without wastes through upcycling wastes towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate seeking the establishment of state police as part of efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture.
The proposed legislation, contained in a communication dated June 15, 2026, was read during plenary on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Tinubu said the bill was aimed at providing a legal framework for a dual policing structure that would allow states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the President, the proposed amendment forms a key component of ongoing efforts to restructure the country’s policing system to improve security and enhance the protection of lives and property.
He explained that under the arrangement, communities, municipalities and local government areas would play more active roles in policing, enabling local authorities to detect suspicious activities and promptly relay intelligence to security agencies.
Following the presentation, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review and directed it to report back on Wednesday.
Speaking on the importance of community-based policing, the Senate President said local authorities were better placed to identify security threats and support proactive responses by law enforcement agencies.
“You will know when foreigners infiltrate Nigeria and alert security agencies so they can react proactively rather than reactively,” he said.
Akpabio expressed optimism that sustained collaboration between the executive and legislative arms would ensure the successful passage and implementation of the initiative.
He disclosed that the process would be undertaken in phases through constitutional amendments and subsequent Acts of Parliament.
“We will do it in two phases through alteration and an Act of Parliament. There will be a lot of safeguards; let us come and do this important task. It is extremely important that we come tomorrow,” he said.
The Senate President also informed lawmakers that plenary would not entertain other major business following the death of a member of the House of Representatives, Yahaya Tongo of Gombe State.
Similarly, the Senate Leader urged senators to attend the next sitting, stressing the significance of the proposed state police framework.
“We need a minimum of two-thirds of members to vote on constitutional alterations. The issue of state police is non-partisan and cuts across geopolitical zones and interests,” he said.
The latest development came barely two weeks after the Senate passed an executive bill on state police for second reading.
Akpabio said the fresh Constitution Alteration Bill transmitted by the President builds on the earlier proposal and seeks to provide the constitutional foundation necessary for the establishment and operation of state police services across the country.
The family of the late veteran actor and scholar, Chief (Prof.) Adekola “Kola” Oyewo, has expressed deep appreciation to Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, among other Nigerians, for their messages of condolence and support following the death of their patriarch.
In a statement issued on Saturday by Dr. Adewale Oyewo on behalf of the family, the bereaved household said the overwhelming show of sympathy, prayers, visits and acts of kindness from across Nigeria and beyond had served as a strong pillar of comfort in their period of grief.
The family described the late Oyewo as a respected community leader, accomplished academic, devoted family man, and traditional title holder whose life was defined by service, integrity, and unwavering commitment to societal development.
According to the statement, the tributes received in his honour reflect the far-reaching impact he made on students, colleagues, cultural practitioners and the wider society.
The family particularly appreciated Governor Ademola Adeleke for his condolence message and prayers, noting that his support had been deeply comforting.
It also expressed gratitude to the Ooni of Ife, whose words of encouragement were described as uplifting and consoling during the mourning period.
The statement further acknowledged the Oloba of Oba-Ile, Oba (Prof.) Adekunle Ashamu Oyeyemi (Tewogbade I), the Oloba-in-Council, and other traditional institutions for their fatherly support and solidarity.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was also commended for his message of sympathy, which the family said brought reassurance in their moment of loss.
The family extended appreciation to professional bodies including the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) and the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), as well as academic communities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Redeemer’s University, Ekiti State University, and Elizade University, where the deceased served.
They also thanked friends, associates and well-wishers who stood by them with prayers and support.
“As we continue preparations to honour the life and legacy of our beloved patriarch, we humbly seek continued prayers and support,” the statement added, praying for the peaceful repose of his soul.
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has appointed Anietie Iniedu as the new Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, succeeding Anthony Placid, who was appointed to the position barely three months ago.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Friday by Placid, who described his successor as a seasoned police officer with extensive experience in public communication, operational policing, intelligence management, institutional accountability and administration.
An indigene of Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Iniedu holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Pure Chemistry from the University of Uyo and has attended several professional courses in investigative interviewing, crime scene management, intelligence analysis, strategic communication and human rights-based policing.
Before his latest appointment, Iniedu headed the Complaint Response Unit at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, where he coordinated the management of public complaints and drove initiatives aimed at deepening transparency, accountability and public trust in the Nigeria Police Force.
He also served as Public Relations Officer of the Police College of Information Technology, Kobape, Ogun State, in addition to holding several operational and administrative positions across the country.
His previous postings include Operations Officer at the Maisandari Division in Yobe State, Area Crime Officer at the Umuahia Area Command in Abia State, Staff Officer at the IGP Secretariat, Force Headquarters, Second-in-Command of the 50 Police Mobile Force Squadron, Kubwa, and Officer-in-Charge of the Force Headquarters Situation Room, where he coordinated the dissemination of crime and security information nationwide.
The statement quoted the Inspector-General as expressing confidence in Iniedu’s capacity to lead the Force Public Relations Department, noting that his wealth of experience and professional background would further strengthen the police’s strategic communication architecture and enhance engagement with members of the public.
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