From: Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin-Kebbi
WACOT Rice Mill Ltd has empowered some Almajiris boys said to be roaming about the streets of Argungu, in Kebbi State, as well as some women in the area with skill acquisition for self reliance.
General Manager Corporate Affairs of Tropical General Investment (TGI) Group, the parent company of WACOT Rice Ltd, Mr. Sadiq Kassim, confirmed this during the presentation of certificates of skills acquisitions to women farmers and cloths to the Almajiri boys at the company’s new site in Argungu.
The ceremony was witnessed by wives of Kebbi, Ondo and Zamfara states governors, Dr. Zainab Atiku Bagudu, Mrs. Betty Ayanwu-Akeredolu, respectively and Hajia Aisha Yari, respectively.
Kassim noted that as part of the company’s social responsibility efforts, WACOT Rice Mill had focused greatly on women, children, healthcare and nutrition – core pillars of the RMNCAH+N (reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent, health and nutrition) campaign championed by Mrs. Aisha Buhari, Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Said he, “Asides our school renovation programs and health camps, we have also facilitated the set-up of women self-help groups, where women go through skills acquisition trainings for making items such as soap, body cream, disinfectant, and so on. They are also taught about business management, group savings, record-keeping and inter – loaning, among other skills.”
Kassim also disclosed that the factory is the first phase of WACOT’s rice milling plan, which targets an increase in capacity to 500,000 metric tons in the next few years.
He explained that, the 120,000 metric tonnes Rice Mill has a capital investment of over N10 Billion and is capable of processing over 120,000 metric tonnes of paddy per annum, creating over 3,500 employments.
Kassim also disclosed that the factory had empowered a lot of farmers, saying, “we do not farm rice, but we work with the farmers from seed to harvest to ensure high quality paddy, which we then buy off them. We purchase paddy from up to 50,000 farmers here in Kebbi State”.
Wife of Kebbi State governor, Dr. Zainab Bagudu, launched the new CSR initiative tagged ‘Pick a Bag’, instituted with the intention of providing clothing for the underprivileged in their communities of operation commended the company for it Corporate Social Responsibilities.