Dangote Industries Limited has received an award of excellence from journalists in Lagos State for its contributions to the economic development of Nigeria.
According to the journalist, Dangote received the prize as a result of his large employment generation effort, which has resulted in thousands of able youths being gainfully employed in the group, as well as his dedication to providing key infrastructures in the country.
The award was presented at the Gala/Awards Nite commemorating the completion of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Lagos State Council’s 2023 Press Week, when several corporate groups and individuals were also acknowledged for their contributions to society.
The Group received the NUJ award just a week after being named Nigeria’s Most Valuable Brand for the sixth consecutive year by the brand and marketing firm TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA as part of its comprehensive 2023 Top Brands perception assessment.
Dangote Cement Plc, a subsidiary of DIL, is the country’s major cement maker, employing over 65,000 direct workers and over 100,000 indirect workers across all of its plants.
The journalists praised Dangote Group in particular for its leadership roles in backward integration in the cement and sugar industries, as well as its continuous expansion of operations both within and outside the country, which has transformed the country from import dependence to self-sufficiency, thereby creating much-needed jobs for employable youths.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
