ADO-EKITI— Dangote Cement Plc and the Ekiti State government have entered into a poverty alleviation partnership deal aimed at empowering the people of the state to become dealers and distributors of cement.

Under the partnership consummated through the Ekiti Enterprise and Economic Development Agency, the state government will disburse credit to individuals who will trade with it by becoming distributors of cements among other products.

The state governor, Kayode Fayemi who spoke at the commissioning in Ado Ekiti, of a mega Dangote Cement warehouse meant to stock the products for the commencement of the scheme said, the state was committed to the economic emancipation of the natives and the Ekiti state.

Fayemi who was represented by the state commissioner for Finance and Budget, Dapo Kolawole commended Dangote cement for keying into the state programme to banish poverty and enhance the economic well being of the people of the state.

According to him, the state government takes with all seriousness any programme having to do with investment promotion,  small and start up of medium scale businesses noting “we want to empower the people of the state, and we see the establishment of this warehouse as a step in the right direction. The stock of this product here will reduce the price and the risk involved in freight from outside the state by the distributors and facilitates easy access to it.”

Speaking also, the Managing Director of Dangote Cement, Lagos Terminal, Akin Adesokan described the deal as a beginning of business relationship between his company and Ekiti state in the task to reduce poverty by helping the people to have a good means of livelihood.

With the warehouse, he said the long chain of distribution of cement to Ekiti had been reduced considerably and would also reflect in lower prices.

“With this we now have over 60 warehouses across the federation which have helped to bring the product closer to the door step of the people.

Any thing that has to do with economic empowerment of the people, Dangote cement is always ready, and this is why we never blink an eye lid immediately the state officials approached us for this.”