Business
Dangote inducts youth in technical skills acquisition as Ravindra says Merger of Dangote food subsidiaries will benefit stakeholders
As part of its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana Plant, Kogi State, has commenced the training of youth in technical skills under the tutelage of technical units of Dangote Cement Transport, Obajana. The participating youth were selected from the host communities of Oyo, Iwaa, Apata, and Obajana.
The Technical Skills Acquisition programme, according to the Plant Director, Dangote Cement Plant, Obajana, JV Gungune, is aimed at empowering the youth and developing entrepreneurial skills around its catchment areas.
Mr. Gungune told newsmen that the youths which also included female trainees, were mostly secondary school leavers.
Speaking at the inauguration of the scheme, General Manager, Community Affairs /Special Duties, Mr. Ademola Adeyemi, said the trainees are being paid monthly stipends while the training lasts. “When completed, the youth will add great value to their communities, Kogi State, and Nigeria,” Mr. Adeyemi said.
Reacting, Divisional Director Transport of the Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Ajay Singh, said some of the areas of training include: auto mechanic, auto electrical, welding and panel beating/fabrication.
The Workshop Manager, Engineer Alfa Adamu, said the trainees were shared into different engineering sections based on their strengths and interest, adding that the trainees have so far spent three months.
In the same vein, the Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Ravindra Singhvi has assured stakeholders that the proposed merger between Dangote Sugar Refinery, NASCON Allied Industries, and Dangote Rice to form Dangote Foods Plc is expected to yield many benefits, solely for the growth of the business and high returns to all the key stakeholders.
Speaking last week on the Business Morning Programme of Channels Television, Ravindra said that the merger when completed will bring economies of scale to the business. He maintained that the merger would lead to cost reduction as the evolved company will gain with an increase in production. The cost, according to him, will now be spread over many goods.
According to him, Dangote Foods will have operational efficiencies, as there would be a reduction in the time needed to obtain raw materials, fuel, manpower, etc for production. Husk and biomass from Rice and Sugar Units will be useful to generate power for the running of the plants. Also, it is expected that the merger will result in improvement in the supply side of the food industry as many products will roll out of the one-stop food company. The Dangote Sugar Refinery helmsman opined that the merger will further advance the backward integration strategy of the Group as resources, machinery, and skilled manpower are to be harnessed to drive the process.
Dangote Foods Plc, he stated will have the potential for more geographical spread than the legacy companies as the products will be readily available in all the niche markets of the former and even more given the combined assets in terms of manpower, product range, transport, and warehouses.
The company will have a stronger business case for access to capital as the combined business will be bigger and more attractive to lenders, he added.
Speaking on the impact of deregulation of the foreign exchange market, he lamented that many manufacturing companies have sustained forex-linked losses in the period as they made provisions for the slump in the value of the Naira against the dollar. Manufacturers, he noted are making provisions monthly to take care of the fluctuations in the value of the Naira.
He said, ‘The headwinds are really there. So, we have to be careful in provisioning for changes in the value of the local currency. The floating of the Naira led to a massive fall in its value. This has affected our operations in the sugar industry.’
Business
FG plans largest dairy, cattle ranches in Ogun — Abiodun
” Whenever investors express interest in Nigeria, President Tinubu often directs them to Ogun State. His leadership has rekindled hope among Nigerians at home and in the diaspora,” the governor said.
Photo: Governor Dapo Abiodun
OGUN State Governor, Dapo Abiodun said today: ” The Federal Government is siting the largest dairy and cattle ranches in Nigeria at Ipokia and Yewa South Local Government Areas, with an initial capacity of 5,000 herds of cattle.”
The governor made the announcement during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Strategic Stakeholders Meeting at the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, noting that the initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen food security, boost local agricultural production, and deepen value chains across the state.
“The biggest dairy and cattle ranches will soon be established in Yewa South and Ipokia. This is at the instance of Mr. President. These farms will start with 5,000 herds of cattle, and work will begin very soon,” Abiodun said.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his economic reforms, highlighting their role in stabilising the foreign exchange market, eliminating multiple exchange-rate regimes, and boosting Nigeria’s foreign reserves to about $45 billion.
Abiodun also praised the President for consistent support towards Ogun State, including approvals for projects such as the Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Road reconstruction, funding of the Eba oil discovery, and resuscitation of OKLNG.
“Whenever investors express interest in Nigeria, President Tinubu often directs them to Ogun State. His leadership has rekindled hope among Nigerians at home and in the diaspora,” the governor said.
Business
12 states harmonise new tax reforms, says Oyedele
“Let us stop using consultants to collect taxes. It undermines our ability to do what is right. The new tax law says you cannot use consultants to do the routine work of the tax authority and its autonomy must be guaranteed.”
Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, says that twelve states have so far adopted tax reform and harmonised the new acts with their laws.
Oyedele disclosed this during a presentation at the National Economic Council Conference in Abuja, yesterday.
Oyedele said that besides the 12 states, 13 states have the bills in their houses of assembly, while 11 states are in the final stages of presenting the bills.
He said it was important for the states to adopt and harmonise the new tax laws with their state tax laws to avoid multiple taxation.
He advised state governors to grant their internal revenue agencies autonomy.
“Let us stop using consultants to collect taxes. It undermines our ability to do what is right. The new tax law says you cannot use consultants to do the routine work of the tax authority and its autonomy must be guaranteed,” he said.
Business
Heineken to cut global workforce by 6,000 as beer demands falter
There are fears that Nigeria would be impacted as the company revealed that the cuts would be focused on non-priority markets offering fewer growth prospects.
• Heineken
Global brewer, Heineken, yesterday, said it would retrench 6,000 staff out of its 87,000 global workforce this year as it grapples with weak demand and rising costs.
The second biggest brewer by market value has promised to deliver higher growth with less resources as it looks to assuage investors who said it has fallen behind on efficiency.
This is coming right after the surprise January resignation of its current Chief Executive Officer, Dolf van den Brink, leaving the company scrambling for a new CEO.Also, sales across the sector are faltering amid strained consumer finances, geopolitical turbulence and bad weather.
The company said this productivity drive will unlock savings and reduce its global head count by 5,000 to 6,000 positions over the next two years, roughly seven percent of its global workforce of 87,000 people.
The company’s head of finance, Harold van den Broek, added that they are doing this to strengthen operations and to be able to invest in growth.
There are fears that Nigeria would be impacted as the company revealed that the cuts would be focused on non-priority markets offering fewer growth prospects.
He added that further cuts would also result from previously announced initiatives targeting Heineken’s supply network, head office and regional business units.
Outgoing-CEO van den Brink, who steps down in May, said that there was no update on the brewer’s search for a successor.
Along with weak demand, brewers are facing long-term declines in beer sales in some key markets, dented by issues such concerns over the health impact of alcohol consumption.
Heineken expects slower profit growth for 2026 of between 2 and 6 per cent against the 4 to 8 per cent growth it guided for last year.
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