Dangote Cement Plc has launched a Farmers Empowerment Programme in Benue State. The initiative is aimed at enabling 50 farmers to produce subsistence and cash crops in commercial quantities, considered the food basket of the nation.

The programme is coming barely two months after the company empowered businesswomen in Gboko communities of the state with cash grants to deepen business activities in the state.

Earlier, the company had increased bursary payments to students of host communities by more than 100 per cent. Speaking yesterday at the launch of the empowerment programme, the General Manager, Social Performance, Johnson Kor, described the programme as ‘historic and innovative.’ He said the beneficiaries were selected from the company’s host communities of the Gboko Local Council Area of Benue State.

According to him, the beneficiaries were carefully selected from the six catchment areas of the local council.

Kor said the projects had been earmarked for the communities as captured in the extant Community Development Agreement (CDA), adding that the contents of the CDA were progressively being executed.

“Today, we are witnessing a historic occasion in our journey of mutual development. Farmers Empowerment Programme is the first programme to be launched since we signed the CDA with the immediate host communities in December 2024,” he said.

In his speech, the Plant Director, Dangote Cement, Gboko Plant, Munusamy Murugan, said the company would also support farmers with fertilisers, agrochemicals, Knapsack Sprayers and various types of seedlings.

Murugan, who was represented by the Head of Production Department, Soom Kiishi, said: “This is the first batch, but certainly just the beginning, and certainly not the end. We plan it to be an annual event, but the choice of the Farmers programme may change, depending on the choice of the benefiting communities.”