News Rendezvous

The Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) has rolled out a maiden exclusive female farmers empowerment scheme for fifty (50) female farmers drawn from the five (5) local government areas hosting the sugar refinery in Adamawa state, Nigeria.

The empowerment scheme was designed to support female sugar cane farmers in the community and boost their farming output, the Chief Executive of the factory, Chinnaya Slyvian disclosed.

While addressing the beneficiaries, Slyvian said, “In the last five farming seasons, our best crop yields come from the female farmers, we have eight hundred farmers but our chairman, Aliko Dangote, has asked us to increase our grower farming numbers to about 2000 farmers.

“There are about 50 beneficiaries, with 10 drawn from each of the five local government areas that comprise the local governments hosting the refinery.

“This empowerment is just a small step towards showing support to the female farmers.

“We intend to expand the scheme to bring in more women and more resources towards building the community because empowering one woman to do better because it trickles down on the family and the entire community.”

Speaking unanimously, the representatives of the Hama Bachama, Amna Shelleng, and the Kwandi Nungruya, led by the district head of Wayam, Eugene Phineas, said the Numan community is blessed to have Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) cited in its community.

Phineas said, “Since the coming of the refinery, it has initiated numerous community-based projects that have positively impacted the community and the community looks forward to bigger and better engagements that will foster harmony and mutually benefiting projects with the refinery.”

Head of Corporate Communications of DSR and key initiator of the project, Ngozi Ngena while speaking at the event said, the Dangote refinery is a family-oriented enterprise and an organisation that values the community it relates with.

She said, the company is interested in the progress of the local farmers and would invest in the farmers towards enhancing their economy and quality of life and boosting their productivity.

Ngozi said, “We will continue to support our farmers to do well but first of all we will monitor your progress with this little investment to see how well it goes.

“I will encourage you to take advantage of this privilege and prove your worth and do better so that we will strive towards better and bigger projects like this.”

About fifty (50) women have been empowered with a cash support of about N50,000.00 each.

Highlights of the event included the presentation of certificates of the cash award to each participant.