According to papers obtained, Dangote Cement Limited has paid approximately N110 billion in taxes to the governments of Ogun State and the Federal Government of Nigeria throughout the course of 36 months (2021–2023).
According to the documents, Ogun received a total of 32,462, 664,910.08 in 2021, as did the federal government. Ogun received N921, 094, 294.6; in contrast, the federal government received 31,541,570,615.45.
They split 39,354, 705,409.22 in 2022 as well. The federal government received 37,703, 832,035.03, and the state government received 1,650,873, 374.19.
In 2023, the two governments also split 38,715, 913, and 399.70. Ogun received $2,238,591,155.26, whilst 36,477,322, 244.44 went to the federal government.
Implicitly, the mining company has given the federal and state governments N105,722,724,894.97 and N4, 810, 558,824.02, respectively.
The Dangote Ibese facility is located in Ogun State’s Yewa North local government area, occupying a sizable area that spans 17 communities. Across its four lines, the factory produces 12 million metric tons of cement annually.
But the people have never stopped experiencing poverty and lack of basic facilities, even with the substantial amount of money the government receives from the firm.
A visit to a few of the host villages revealed how terrible the situation is.
Numerous roads require immediate renovation as they are nearly impassable.
Oja Odan-Iselu-Ijoun Road, Ayetoro-Saala-Orile-Ijaka-Oke-Ijoun Road, Joga Orile, Igan Okoto-Sawonjo-Igbogila, Ijoun-Igbokofi, Ijoun-Ijale-Ketu-Aworo-Pedepo-Tobolo roads, and Ijoun-Igbokofi are a few of the poor roads.
Ayetoro Igan Road, Oko-rori Road, Oke Ola Road, and Isale Araba in Ayetoro are a few more.
The Dangote Ibese facility is located in Ogun State’s Yewa North local government area, occupying a sizable area that spans 17 communities. Across its four lines, the factory produces 12 million metric tons of cement annually.
But the people have never stopped experiencing poverty and lack of basic facilities, even with the substantial amount of money the government receives from the firm.
A visit to a few of the host villages revealed how terrible the situation is.
Numerous roads require immediate renovation as they are nearly impassable.
Oja Odan-Iselu-Ijoun Road, Ayetoro-Saala-Orile-Ijaka-Oke-Ijoun Road, Joga Orile, Igan Okoto-Sawonjo-Igbogila, Ijoun-Igbokofi, Ijoun-Ijale-Ketu-Aworo-Pedepo-Tobolo roads, and Ijoun-Igbokofi are a few of the poor roads.
Ayetoro Igan Road, Oko-rori Road, Oke Ola Road, and Isale Araba in Ayetoro are a few more.
Poverty and health risks are also supposedly faced by rural residents.
Indeed, Ogun locals refer to Dangote’s host local government and the four other local government areas (except from one) in the state’s western senatorial district as the poorest in the state.
When this reporter rode about on a motorcycle with a man identifying only as Idris, he worried about health risks brought on by the mining company’s horrible cement dust emissions.
Idris declared he wouldn’t think twice about leaving the area as soon as he had enough money to do so.
“My brother is currently in the hospital in Lagos,” he clarified. He became ill early in January, and although I rushed him to the hospital, his condition didn’t get better.
“After that, I had to give my aunt a call in Lagos so we could relocate him to her home.” I discovered when he arrived in Lagos that he suffers from a lung ailment, and we believe the dust is to blame.
Raheem Adeosun, another citizen, highlighted the disregard for indigenous people in the company’s hiring strategy and mentioned that the community was upset with the business.
Adeosun continued, saying that the firm didn’t care about the welfare of the locals—just the natural riches in the area.
Is it not apparent? Despite being located on our territory, a minuscule proportion of residents—particularly indigenous people—work at the facility.
We are left to our fate, though, while they deal with the nation’s powerful and government. One day, God will deliver us.
He bemoaned further, saying, “Even our people who were employed are there as casual or very junior staff working as slaves in their fatherland.”
More than eight other responders agreed with Adeosun’s viewpoint.
According to a lab research, breathing cement dust can have major health risks.
According to this study, the majority of people who worked in cement factories and lived nearby experienced various respiratory ailments, including lung infections, asthma attacks, and coughs.
laws pertaining to the environment
According to this reporter’s findings, the multinational corporation is also being accused of environmental violations, a situation that the state government is not happy with at the moment.
Nonetheless, the business believes that the disobedience of the community is what led to the environmental violations.
Ola Oresanya, the state commissioner for the environment, voiced his displeasure with the plant’s effects on the environment during a recent speech at a ceremony.
“The communities here escalate so many things to us in the state, and whenever we come here, what we see is deplorable,” declared the visibly irate commissioner.
Our primary focus is not internal factors, but rather the external environment. This place is usually horrible. The surroundings and the entrance are inadequate.
“You have to pay attention to the state government, and we need to collaborate.”
Wakeel Olayiwola, the Head of Social Performance at Dangote Group, swiftly responded to the commissioner, stating that the locals are ultimately responsible for any events that occur outside of the firm and that the corporation should not be held accountable for the state of the environment.
In response, the commissioner said, “Perhaps you will understand what we are talking about once you are sanctioned.” Olayiwola
Iziaq Salako, the state minister for the environment, was present when he made a comment in an interview, urging greater collaboration between the business and the state government.
Salako acknowledged that mining had an adverse effect on the environment.
In addition to taking a tour of the factory, I also spoke with some of the upper management, and together we learned that greater cooperation is needed to help the operators here run more efficiently, particularly with the local subnational government.
The community must also comprehend that there can be no gain without sorrow.
The minister stated, “We have made it clear to the operators that as much as we are pushing that, they too must ensure that these negative impacts are reduced to the barest minimum. Mining activities naturally come with some challenges that impact the environment.”
In the meantime, attempts to get in touch with the Dangote group for a reaction were unsuccessful.
When reached, Francis Awowole Browne, the plant’s media and communications officer, promised to respond, but as of the time this story was filed, he had not.