Dangote Cement Launches Industrial Internship Program for Students

 

Dangote Cement PLC has launched a new internship program for tertiary students in the country, allowing them to undertake a one-year internship fully funded by the leading cement company.

The programme, according to the Regional Sales Manager of Dangote Cement Lagos, Mr. Tunde Mabogunje, while inducting the pioneer students from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, was designed to provide hands-on, hands-on experience to outstanding engineering students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

He explained that the program is part of Dangote Cement’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and provides a unique opportunity for engineering students to apply the knowledge they acquire in the classroom and laboratory to real-world situations. By combining their academic learning with hands-on training in the field, students will emerge as well-rounded engineers.

Mobogunje said: “We are kicking off this phase of the programme in Lagos and Kano states. A total of 20 students are involved, with 10 selected from each of the two states. In the selection of the interns, we have written to the authorities of Yaba College of Technology and Kano Polytechnic, requesting the list of top performing students in Building Studies.

“We need to train the selected students on the correct application of cement with specific reference to Dangote cement, in accordance with the requirements of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

“The interns will be deployed to various construction sites, while technical officials from Dangote Cement will be on site to monitor them.”

The Dangote Cement executive stressed that the project underscores the company’s belief that the acquisition of professional and technical skills is critical to the well-being of any particular sector and the economy as a whole.

“They are an essential prerequisite for growth. However, the shortage of professional and technical skills has had a negative effect on the construction industry. This internship program is timely and is an important step in the right direction to bridge the gap. As the interns gain practical experience in the field, they will be well-prepared to become well-rounded professionals and make a significant contribution to the industry.

“At Dangote Group, we are committed to providing vocational training to young Nigerians to equip them with a range of valuable skills. To fill the gaps in some of our plants, we recruited graduates from engineering and technology-based programmes and trained them in various aspects of industrial operations. These technicians were subsequently deployed to our plants in Obajana, Ibese, Gboko, as well as our sugar and salt refineries in Apapa and Ikeja. They have proven that, with the right training and guidance, young Nigerians excel in every assignment they undertake.

“For our oil refinery and fertilizer plant, we recruited hundreds of engineering graduates and sent them abroad for training. This group of professionals now manages the new plants and is training other groups of engineers through skills transfer.

“We provide vocational training programs for our host communities. Young people are real assets in any society and the quality of young people determines the prospects of tomorrow’s society. Therefore, an investment in developing vocational skills among young people will yield the desired results.”

In his speech, the Vice-Chancellor of Yaba College of Technology, Dr. (Engineer) Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul, commended Dangote Cement’s stewardship of the project, describing it as a historic achievement in corporate social responsibility.

He expressed his happiness that Yaba College of Technology has been chosen as the pioneer institution for the project and assured that the participating students of the institution will live up to expectations and that the project will achieve its objective of bridging the gap between academic performance and practical experience.

The program, the Chancellor said, would expose students to the practical aspects of their field of study, so that upon graduation they would acquire the necessary skills that would easily launch them as professionals.

Eng. Abdul said the College has other groups, institutions and companies it collaborates with to upskill students. He further disclosed that the College management was in the process of establishing an Industry Advisory Committee for which it campaigned for a representative from Dangote Cement.

While stressing that the door of Yaba College of Technology is open to further collaborations with Dangote Cement and other similar organisations, the Chancellor assured that the initiative will make students more effective both on and off the field and be more useful to society.

Speaking during the launch, Funmi Sani, National Sales Manager, Dangote Cement, said the internship initiative was not unexpected by Dangote Cement because the company is synonymous with quality and anything that can bring quality both in the application of academic and practical skills would be of interest to the company.

He urged the students to make the most of the opportunity provided by the programme to improve their performance and stand out from the rest, stressing that they will be paid by Dangote Cement for the period of internship.

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