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Towards enhancing agriculture and creation of jobs, Dangote Fertiliser Limited is to train over one million farmers in the next three years.
The training, which is part of the Fertiliser company’s agriculture extension services will involve Spot Demonstrations, Result Demonstrations, Field Demonstrations and Soil Samples Collections.
According to Mr. Uchenna Nwankwo of Dangote Fertiliser, the exercise is designed to instruct farmers on the best practices in fertiliser application.
Speaking during his presentation at the Dangote Group Special Day at the ongoing Enugu International trade fair, he added that free samples of Dangote Fertiliser will be used in field demonstrations while the results will be collated at the end of the farming season.
Earlier, the President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Mr. Jasper Nduagwuike, praised Dangote Industries Limited for the sponsorship of the Enugu International Trade fair adding that the indigenous conglomerate activities are making great impact to the economic development of Nigeria.
Nduagwuike noted that the Dangote Group is turning Nigeria’s economy from consuming to producing, by manufacturing household items, fertiliser, and other products. He charged other companies to emulate Dangote Group.
He said “ECCIMA expects other companies to emulate Dangote industries because that is the only way you can change the cause of this economy. I challenge Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to understand that Dangote industries was once an SMEs but with hard work, resilience, and determination, it is today a conglomerate.
“The profound gratitude of ECCIMA to Dangote industries for being a part of the sponsorship of the Fair. This relationship will continue and for us it is morning yet on creation day”.
The Regional Sales Director of Dangote Cement in Southeast, Mr. Abayomi Shittu, welcoming guests to the special day, said the interest of the Dangote Group is aimed at supporting government in job creation and reducing poverty in Nigeria.
He noted that the company, through its job creation mechanism, has become the second biggest employer of labour in the country outside the government, which adding to him is a big plus to the company.
Shittu started that the President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, is passionate about promoting the activities of Chambers of Commerce & Industries across the nation. He said, “He is interested in activities of all the major Chambers of Commerce & Industries in Nigeria, hence our participation in trade fairs organized by Enugu, Abuja, Ogun, Kaduna, and Kano Chambers of Commerce & Industries.”
Explaining the importance of Chambers of Commerce, he stated “Our participation at all major trade fairs across the country is a means of demonstrating our belief that Chambers of Commerce & Industry occupy a unique position in driving economic development through their activities. Our expectation is that through this Trade Fair will further expand awareness for our innovative products, generate sales, get prospective buyers, improve the image of our brands, and open up new markets that will further translate in job creation.”
Dangote Fertiliser Plant is Africa’s largest Granulated Urea Fertiliser complex. The plant occupies 500 hectares of land in Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos Nigeria. It was built at a cost of $2.5 Billion.
With Nigeria estimated to need about 5 to 7 million metric tonnes per annum of fertiliser and with the current level of fertiliser consumption in the country which is 1.5 million metric tonnes, Dangote Fertiliser complex was established to produce 3 million metric tonnes per annum of urea fertiliser in phase 1.
Dangote Fertiliser works with Farmer Associations, Corporate Farms, NPK Blenders, NGO/development partners and State Governments all over Nigeria, as well as governments across Africa and beyond who are looking for sustainable approach to improve soil and farm yields.