The focus of Dangote Group in empowering the youth and making them believe in themselves has been applauded by the Government of Cross River State, South-South Nigeria. The applause came over the weekend, with the Group being described as the corporate body with the best approach to youth empowerment and development in the country.

Wife of the Governor, Barrister Obioma Imoke, who represented her husband, Liyel Imoke, at the tape-cutting to declare open the Calabar Children Carnival, said Dangote over the years has been consistent in giving back to the society, empowering the youth and serving as a good and positive role model to the youth.

“Aliko Dangote has been a good and positive role model to our youth. He has shown enormous interest in youth development and empowerment and we wish other notable Nigerians can take a cue from him and use their organisations to support the youth, who are obviously the leaders of the tomorrow,” Barrister Obioma Imoke said.

Responding, President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, assured of more strategic investments in the nation’s economy with focus on youth development by partnering with state governments.

Dangote spoke through his representative, Esan Sunday, General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dangote Group.

He said all hands should be on deck to develop the children to become useful for themselves and the nation. Dangote said it was against this background that the Group has been sponsoring the Children segment of the Calabar Carnival. The Group, according to him, also runs an academy targetted at youth development academically.

The colouful procession of children from age three to 16 numbering over 10,000 started from the popular botanical garden through to the U. J. Esuene Stadium, and witnessed by top government officials led by the wife of the state governor, Obioma Imoke.

The governor’s wife urged other organisations to emulate the good gestures of Dangote Group so as to fast-track the development of the country.

Mrs. Imoke told the children that the state government is committed to policies and programmes that will assist the children and youths realise their potentials. She urged the youths to see potentials and not limitations in their aspirations to become the best in the future.

No fewer than 10,000 children participated in the carnival, all of them and their bands kitted in branded shirts provided by the Dangote Group. The Group also provided same for the officials in addition to thousands of cartons of variety of its Dansa fruit drinks and water.

Visibly impressed by the gesture from the Group, Mrs. Imoke described Dangote Group as a worthy partner towards helping children discover their talents and skills. According to her, the Group in providing all the refreshments for both the dry run and Children Carnival proper has shown its interest in the welfare of the Nigerian child.

The dry run gave residents of Calabar a glimpse of what the children carnival was to look like with hundreds of children clad in Dangote-branded T-shirts parading the streets.

The carnival proper involved several groups of children of different ages who paraded the four- kilometres distance from the Botanical Garden located near the Mary Slessor Roundabout through Barracks Road and terminating at the U. J. Esuene Stadium.

Different bands that participated in the run include Bayside, Freedom, Masta Blasta, Seagull, Passion Four and Army Children.

The children who were full of excitement paraded and danced to the music being supplied from over a dozen of open vans and trucks equipped with hi-fi sound systems and disc jockeys adorning Dangote Beach umbrellas.

It was an exciting sight to see sea of children adorned in various colors of Dangote-branded T-shirts. The children were grouped according to age groups and further distinguished by the color of the T-shirts.

•Photo, L-R, shows Senator Ita Giwa; GM, Corporate Communications, Dangote Group, Esan Sunday; and Wife of Cross River State Governor, Barrister Obioma Imoke, at the tape cutting to declare the Calabar Children Carnival open, weekend.

Update news