Enageed Resource Initiates Free Healthcare, ICT Training For Host Community In Edo

By Francis Onoiribholo Bureau Chief Benin

Cascaded by Wilson Macaulay

WARRI

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), to host communities, Enageed Resource Limied, a Sahara Group Company, has initiated free healthcare, ICT training for the people of Ajoki, in Ovia North East local government area of Edo State.

The firm also engaged local contractors in the area on how to improve production, facilitate development, personal financing, and business registration.

In his opening remarks, the company Chief Operation Officer (COO), Mr. Henry Menkiti, said the essence of the programme is to effectively engage stakeholders within the host communities with a view to significantly reduce the possibilities of any community crises and promote good relationships with our host communities.

"As a result, Enageed has put in extra efforts to properly engage with the community to facilitate the Social License to Operate required, to ensure the safety of people and facilities, improve production, and promote the sustainable development of all host communities.

"Enageed Resources has made great strides toward fostering economic growth. In line with this, Enageed developed this initiative with the objective to improve the capacity of local community contractors and ensure their businesses continue to grow," Menkiti said

Speaking on the local capacity development initiative, the company Head of Supply Chain Management, Mr. Frank Emerua, said Enageed has put in extra efforts to properly engage with the community to facilitate their social license to ensure the safety of people and facilities, improve production, and promote the sustainable development of all host communities, thereby fostering economic growth.

He also stated that Enageed developed this initiative with the objective to improve the capacity of local community contractors and ensure their businesses continue to grow.

Emerua explained that the theme “Connecting our Communities to Endless Opportunities” assumes significance, as Enageed believes building human and social capital is a never-ending act and is integral to strategic community investments.

"Enageed is aware millions of people around the country still live in a state of abject poverty without access to basic amenities, employment, health care, and education, Enageed is deliberate about the development of our communities. Enageed has gathered a rich combination of speakers who would be providing key lessons on fundamental 21st-century skills. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is critical in all sectors of the world economy and is changing the way we live, work and do business.

"To ensure our community contractors have the right skills for an increasingly digital and globalized world, the ICT session which is one of the key components of this training would bridge this gap.

"Another key component of the training is financial literacy which matters across many levels of our world economy. As such, there has been an increasing recognition of the importance of financial literacy and inclusion. This session would ensure our contractors are more knowledgeable about finance in a way that is relevant to their business."

He further noted that the company's commitment to promoting healthy environment, has also led to the medical check-up which is being conducted for members of the community as safety and health is at the heart of its operation.

"Enageed is hopeful that this session will enlighten the community on how to stay healthy and will provide relief for people requiring eyeglasses and other basic health needs like hypertension, blood sugar and other health issues.

"We are ready to ensure continuous development in the communities we operate in, and believe the skills learned and knowledge gained will better equip community contractors to improve the efficiency of their operations and grow their business. We therefore look forward to the future outcome of this training that will foster innovation and better economic development in the Ajoki Community," he declared.

In his goodwill message, the Secretary General of Ajoki Community, Scott Omesan, thanked Sahara Group for coming up with this laudable initiative to foster better relationship between it and the host Community, Ajoki.

Omesan promised that as a Community, "we shall do everything possible to protect the company's facilities in our domain."

He also added: "We also expect cooperation with the company for it to follow local content policy and best practices. There are some job the community can do. We are not going to struggle for jobs we cannot do.

"Today's programme has giving us the opportunity to learn more about ICT. Also, the medical outreach has afforded a lot of our people to opportunity to know their health status in the area of eye problem and others. Even the contractors among us, the programme will afford them the opportunity to know more as growing contractors and not to depend on the bigger contractors. So having such thing in Ajoki Community, I think the relationship between us and the company will continue to be cordial." he said.