The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has said that Dangote Cement Plc is making measurable impacts in its Gboko Host Communities of Benue State.

At the commissioning of Dangote Cement’s multi-million-naira water projects, scholarship awards and youth skill acquisition programme, the minister commended the company for its impactful contributions to host communities.

He also commended the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) for partnering and supervising the training of youth during the skill acquisition programme.

Represented by an Assistant Director of Mines and Environmental Compliance, Benue State, Mrs. Adijatu Usman, the minister said Dangote Cement is meeting its obligations under the Community Development Agreement (CDA).

He said the CDA ensures that mining companies plough back part of their profits into their host communities.

He said: “I can tell you that the Dangote Cement has delivered several projects for its host communities.

“The project was a fall out of a Federal Government policy, for companies such as Dangote to give back to its host communities.

“It is a Federal Government policy for mining companies to reinvest part of their profits into host mining communities so as to impact the communities, and as a result of that policy we have had series of engagements with them.

“There are six of these communities here. We sat with them several times and these projects are certified community-based projects because the community agreed that they needed these projects. And we are here today because the projects have been completed.

“What we expect is for the communities to see these projects as their personal projects; own them, and protect them, so that they will be sustainable. That way there will be economic development within the communities.

“We share in their joy as we present these projects to them, and we think that mining will be sustainable.”

Speaking at the commissioning and handover ceremony of the projects to the communities, Head of Social Performance at Dangote Cement Plant in Gboko, Dr. Johnson Kor, stated that the projects were delivered to communities that have challenge in access to good water supply.

Dr. Kor said: “We are here today to commission CDA projects that were earmarked for these host communities since last year December 2024. We have done many of them and these are the ones that have been completed, and they are water projects among them motorized and solar powered boreholes.

“Community Development Agreement was entered in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the host communities, the stakeholders and the Plant.

“It is a five-year agreement, and this is the first year and by next year we will be going into the second round and as you can see, we are also working on some electricity projects which are yet to be completed.

“These are areas where they hardly get water, despite having hand dug wells, they are perennially in need of water and some of them are using water from the streams or river because of their proximity to River Benue.

“Therefore, we felt there was need to provide water for them, and they are happy with this kind of gesture exhibited by the Dangote Cement Plc.

“The boreholes are located in Pass Brother, Mbaakpoghol-Mbatyu; Mbaswa-Mbatser and Agboghol-Amua communities.”

District Head of Mbaakpoghol-Mbatyu, Chief Kunav Anum, observed that as a community, his people were very happy to have one of the boreholes located in the community.

He said: “We are very excited. We didn’t know that this would happen so soon in this community. It came as a surprise, so we are grateful to Dangote Cement Plc for the gesture.”

The monarch said the community had accessed electricity earlier through Dangote Cement, even as he pledged that the community would continue to support the company.

A statement from the company had said: “In further demonstration of this commitment, the scholarship fund has this year been reviewed upward to ₦28,800,000.00, and its scope expanded to cover all six host communities, strictly in line with the provisions of the Community Development Agreement (CDA). This deliberate expansion reflects our desire to ensure equity, inclusiveness, and shared benefits across all our immediate communities.

“The company has executed several projects, with others still ongoing, including the Women Empowerment Programme, the Farmers Empowerment Programme and the Youth Empowerment Programme, all aimed at improving livelihoods in the host communities.”

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, formally declared his intention on Wednesday to run for president in the 2027 elections. The announcement was made during a gathering at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja and comes amid ongoing realignments within Nigeria’s opposition.

Baba-Ahmed’s declaration follows closely on last week’s departure of former presidential candidate Peter Obi from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress–a move that has sparked debate over the future of the party and opposition dynamics ahead of the next general election.

Addressing supporters, Baba-Ahmed stressed that his presidential ambition predates the 2023 polls and is not a reaction to Obi’s exit.

“I have decided to contest for the presidency in 2027. I am not following anyone’s trajectory or stepping into anyone’s shoes,” he stated.

“Before His Excellency Peter Obi filed for the presidency, I had already aspired to the office. The records are there.”

He recalled contesting the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential primary in October 2018 before later joining forces with Obi under the Labour Party in 2023.

“I saw a rare opportunity for national unity in Peter Obi’s candidacy, and that is why I decided to flow with it,” Baba-Ahmed explained.

Responding to questions about identity and eligibility, he affirmed: “I am a practising Muslim and a Hausa man, but first I am a Nigerian. The constitution grants me the right to contest. I am doing this because Nigeria needs help.”

However, he noted that he would await official party and electoral guidelines before further campaign steps: “As a law-abiding citizen and loyal party member, I will wait for INEC’s timetable and the Labour Party’s call for aspirants.”

In his response, Labour Party National Chairman Julius Abure commended Baba-Ahmed for his loyalty amid speculation of defection. He highlighted that key figures, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti, also remain with the party.

“On the night Peter Obi defected, Dr. Baba-Ahmed called to confirm he was not leaving the party–the platform through which we secured millions of votes in 2023,” Abure said.

He added that Baba-Ahmed had proposed and helped organize the unity meeting held at the party secretariat.

“The Labour Party is intact,” Abure asserted. “We will not let Nigerians down. We remain united and committed to offering a genuine alternative.”

Baba-Ahmed’s entry adds a new layer to the emerging 2027 presidential contest, signaling early positioning and potential reshaping of opposition alliances.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail in the sum of ₦500 million each to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), his wife, and his son.

Justice Emeka Nwite, who presided over the case on Wednesday morning, ruled that each of the defendants must provide two sureties with verified landed properties in any of the highbrow areas of Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarinpa within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The judge further directed that the documents of the properties must be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court. In addition, the sureties are to depose to an affidavit of means to confirm their financial capability.

Justice Nwite also ordered Malami and the co-defendants to deposit their international passports with the court and barred them from travelling outside the country without prior permission.

The ruling came after the trio were arraigned on charges bordering on alleged corruption and abuse of office during Malami’s tenure as Minister of Justice.

Hearing in the case has been adjourned to February 17.