The coming of Dangote Cement into Obajana a small town in Kogi state Nigeria years ago was heralded with hope of better things to come. It was hoped that Obajana would be the envy of other communities that would have loved to host the acclaimed largest cement factory in Africa.

The Dangote Group had planned to make Obajana the largest cement plant in not only Nigeria, but also the biggest in Africa and one of the largest in the world, with a total capacity of 12.25 million metric tons per annum.

Obajana is a unique location and an ideal mine site for many a cement manufacturer given that all the raw materials required for cement manufacturing are available in the same mine complex except the mineral gypsum that is used only up to 3.5% during cement grinding process.

The company’s 2016 full year audited results detailed that Dangote cement sold 8.6 million metric tons of cement outside Nigeria, which is higher than the output of the previous year.

However, whilst Dangote cement has had a rosy business calendar, the same cannot be said for the host community that is witnessing the negative impact of large scale mineral mining akin to Niger Delta communities.

First is the accusation by community stakeholders of being shortchanged in the compensation paid for their farmlands on which Dangote cement presently calls home. The accusation reminds one of the abject realities of land grabbing in Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. Farmers who had grown cash crops only were compensated for crops and not the value of the land.

Before the advent of Dangote cement, young people made a trade out of the extraction of precious stone deposits in the some areas where the factory now covers. That economic activity is now lost to the community with the economic and social structures that it brings.

The community is sprayed and wrapped with dust. Dust residues settle everywhere from rooftops, sitting rooms to bedrooms. Dust residues from the Plant has taken over the atmospheric condition of the community such that it is common or families and households to sweep almost one bag of cement dust from their houses everyday.

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The community suspects that Dangote Cement now uses coal to power some of their machines further adding to the pollution. Their accusation is buttressed by the increasing number of residents battling with caner and lung-relate d ailments. It is quiet despicable that at a time where responsible business ventures were decarbonizing by devising and utilizing alternative and clean energy sources apart and away from coal, Dangote cement utilizes about 12,000 metric tons of coal each day.

Pollution resulting from the use of coal as industrial fuel has led to the discoloration of buildings, properties, paintings among others of the inhabitants of the community. Apart from human impacts, the farmers have had to move to other communities due to crop failure resulting from degradation caused by the pollution. Oyin River, the main source of water in Obajana has been contaminated. Fishing activities and recreational activities have ceased.

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There is a claim of recklessness by the plant authorities of ben negligent and deliberately letting dusts to escape into the atmosphere when they could be made to recycle back into the production field. There is equally claims of the use of inappropriate machines or over usage of machines at the plants.

While the residents are the victims of Dangote Cements irresponsible production methods, the inhabitants are made to bear the full brunt of this recklessness. The primary health center in Obajana is dysfunctional and under equipped. The people of Obajana are left on their own to bear the full cost of chronic cough caused by inhaling dust emitting from the cement plant, peppering nostrils and other chronic cases.

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Environmental scientists have warned of the possibility of large amount of greenhouse gasses (GHG) in the community’s atmosphere. Scientists warn that nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide , sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide might have been released into the communities atmosphere in dangerous numbers.

Shockingly, Dangote cement claims in its environmental impacts assessment that dusts emitted during cement manufacture is generally non-toxic, non- corrosive, noninflammatory, non-explosive and not hazardous. The community yet continues to bear the curse of the powdered gold.

Like many an instance in Nigeria, Obajana has been left on their own , their aspirations and hope upon the advent of Dangote cement into their community has led to a disastrous outcome. The relevant government authorities have simply turned the other way. There is no help, no succor in sight for this lonely community against the evolving and powerful multinational giant that is Dangote cement.

In an era of responsible production and consumption, one expects that Dangote cement will take the lead in the design of their operational methods and producton impact, the forgoing depicts that the reverse is the case.

It is our hope that Dangote Group will rise to the occasion and devise impactful ways of ameliorating and rehabilitating the inhabitants of the community to which it has caused untold damage. The federal government and state government in Nigeria should equally do more to protect the peoples and environment from the unwholesome practices of multinationals and companies that call Nigeria home.
http://www.sustainabilitywatchngr.com/index.php/special-report/item/728-obajana-the-curse-of-the-powdered-gold