IDPD 2025: Lafarge Africa  Celebrates Beneficiaries of Disability to  Ability Programme

 

Adejoke Adeleye Ogun 

 

Lafarge Africa Plc has celebrated beneficiaries of its Disability to Ability Programme as part of activities marking the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, held yesterday in Lagos.

The company, in partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), and Tunde Onakoya, Founder of Chess in Slums Africa, brought together over 100 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) currently undergoing vocational and entrepreneurship training under the D2A scheme.

The programme, themed “Ability Reimagined,” is designed to equip participants with market-relevant skills in laptop and phone repairs, make-up and gele, wig and braids making, and shoe and bag making. Training is ongoing across two hubs, Ikeja and Ikorodu, to ensure accessibility for beneficiaries statewide.

Speaking at the event, Viola Graham-Douglas, Director, Communications, Public Affairs & Sustainable Development, Lafarge Africa, said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to empowering communities and promoting inclusion.

“We don’t just produce building solutions; we build society and empower people to be the best they can be,” she said. She added that an inclusive society thrives when “committed people choose to make a difference.”

Onakoya, who inspired beneficiaries with his personal story, urged them to believe in their abilities and maximise the opportunity provided by Lafarge. He applauded the company for creating platforms that uplift people living with disabilities.

Executive Secretary/CEO of LSETF, Mrs. Feyisayo Alayande, joined other stakeholders in a speed-mentoring session with the trainees.

Also speaking, the General Manager of LASODA, Mrs. Adenike Oyetunde Lawal, represented by Dr. Adekola Oluwafunmilayo, noted that building an inclusive society is a shared responsibility. She commended Lafarge and LSETF for providing business registration support and starter toolkits, saying such interventions “truly transform lives.”

Lafarge Africa Plc, a member of Huaxin Cement Co. Ltd., is a major player in Nigeria’s building solutions industry, with cement operations across Ogun, Gombe, and Cross River States, and Ready-Mix plants in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

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