Ashaka Cement has signed five-year community development agreements covering infrastructure and social services in Gombe State
Ashaka Cement Limited has signed five-year Community Development Agreements (CDAs) with host communities in Gombe State, committing to projects covering roads, education, healthcare, water supply, agriculture and employment between 2026 and 2030.
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The agreements cover the Funakaye and Maiganga communities across Funakaye and Akko Local Government Areas. They establish a framework for delivering community projects and improving infrastructure and living conditions around the company’s operations.
The commitments come as the company’s parent, HBM Nigeria Plc, pursues a major production expansion intended to raise capacity to more than three times its current level, with commissioning scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. The expansion could create additional employment opportunities for residents in the surrounding communities.
Projects Cover Education, Healthcare and Basic Infrastructure
The development agreements provide for agricultural support, youth and women’s empowerment, education sponsorships, solar-powered boreholes, road rehabilitation, and the construction of schools and clinics.
These interventions target basic infrastructure and social services that can improve living conditions while creating opportunities for residents to participate in the local economy.
Ashaka Cement Managing Director Ibrahim Aminu assured the communities that the company would implement the projects outlined in the agreements. He also linked the planned production expansion to potential employment gains for people living around the company’s operations.
However, the agreements’ impact will depend on timely delivery, effective monitoring and whether the projects respond to the priorities of residents in each community.
Gombe Strengthens Oversight of Mining Companies
Gombe State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Sanusi Ahmed Pindiga said the agreements would provide a structured framework for cooperation and resolving disputes between Ashaka Cement and its host communities.
He urged both parties to honour their commitments and use dialogue to address grievances.
Pindiga also disclosed that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya signed an executive order on 4 August to strengthen the monitoring of mining activities. The order requires mining and quarrying companies to maintain valid development agreements with their host communities.
The state government’s position places greater emphasis on formal commitments between companies and communities, rather than relying solely on voluntary corporate social responsibility programmes.
Representing the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, Abimbola Adams described the agreements as a partnership based on mutual trust and responsibility. She urged the company to fulfil its obligations and encouraged the communities to maintain peaceful relations.
Community representatives also stressed the importance of dialogue, respect for the rule of law and proper investigation of complaints. Maiganga Community Chairman David Daniel urged residents to avoid taking matters into their own hands.
Production Expansion Raises Stakes for Community Development
HBM Nigeria Plc’s planned expansion of Ashaka Cement’s production capacity to more than three times its current level adds significance to the agreements. The company expects to commission the expansion in the first quarter of 2027.
Greater production could create additional jobs and support economic activity across transport, distribution and other parts of the cement supply chain. It could also increase the importance of managing the effects of industrial operations on nearby communities and infrastructure.
For Gombe State, the central issue is ensuring that industrial expansion translates into tangible local benefits. Employment opportunities, reliable water supply, improved roads, education and healthcare can help communities share in the gains from industrial investment.
The agreements provide a framework for that relationship, but their success will depend on implementation and accountability over the five-year period.
Delivery Will Determine the Agreements’ Impact
Ashaka Cement’s five-year commitments establish a basis for addressing infrastructure and social development needs in its host communities. The inclusion of roads, schools, clinics, water supply and agricultural support gives the agreements relevance to residents’ daily lives.
The next test will be whether the company delivers the agreed projects according to schedule and whether state authorities and community representatives monitor progress effectively.
As production expands, consistent delivery will be important not only for community welfare but also for maintaining trust and stable relations between the company and the communities where it operates.
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