The management of Grand Cereals Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of UAC Nigeria, has built a 1,000-capacity town hall worth N85 million, for Zawan, its host community in Jos, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports.
Mrs. Omolara Elemide, Acting Group Managing Director (GMD), UAC Nigeria, who inaugurated the building on Monday, said that the project was aimed at improving relations with the host communities.
Elemide, who was represented by Mr Joseph Dada, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to executing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), programmes so as to improve the welfare of its operating environment.
“Grand Cereals, like its parent company, the UACN, constantly seeks to improve the socio-economic well being of its operating environment.
“We have always contributed positively to community projects and initiatives with lasting and meaningful impact.
It is a corporate policy we shall continue to sustain because we are passionate about touching lives with our products and services,” he said.
Elemide said that the board of directors of the company approved the project in 2106, after focusing on education, nourishment, and cultural sectors over the years.
He listed some of the company’s earlier CSR activities to include interventions in secondary and tertiary institutions where it provided services and equipment to advance learning.
“In the past, we built and equipped a technical workshop in Zawan.
We also donated computers to University of Jos.
“We organised weekend trainings on attitudinal change for Zawan youths, and also introduced technical skills where local university graduates were engaged and trained.
“Those trained were given direct experience for a period of one year, with some of them employed by the company.
“We also donate basic products to orphanages, schools and widows foundations on a monthly basis,” she added.
Mr Sanjeev Jain, Acting Deputy Managing Director (DMD), Grand Cereals Nigeria said that the hall is one the company’s commitment to CSR.
“We pray that this commitment will continue as our host community remain our partners.
“We appreciate our host community for the peace and harmony we have enjoyed from the host community.
“The company in its part will continue to produce high quality products take care of educational and nutritional needs of the community and customers,” Jain said.
He called on members of the thost community to be ambassadors of the company by promoting its products.
Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau, in his remarks, appreciated Grand Cereals for being one of the highest private employers of labour in the state.
Lalong, who was represented by Mr Richard Tokma, Secretary to the State Government, said that the firm was crucial to Plateau’s internally generated revenue, and commended the company for remaining in the state despite the crises that bedeviled it in the past.
He promised to collaborate with security agencies to ensure that the company’s products were well protected.
Chief Christopher Mancha, Dagwom Rwei of Zawan, thanked Grand Cereals for its interventions in the community.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the hall was named after late Layi Oyatoki, a former Managing Director of the company, who initiated the project.
