26th September, 2012
The TY Danjuma Foundation, a grant-making organisation, said on Wednesday that it would disburse N180.6 million to 17 non Governmental Organisations to assist them in their operations. The Chairman and Founder of the foundation, Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, made the statement at the Announcement and Award to Grantees ceremony of the 2012 Grant Cycle in Abuja.
Danjuma said the foundation would support the NGOs under its Main Grant Portfolio to implement various projects in 12 states, including the FCT.
“Following the foundation’s 2012 call for proposals, 516 applications were received from prospective grantees. A total of 295 of these were reviewed under the foundation’s main grant. After diligent consideration, 17 of them were approved for award under the foundation’s main grants portfolio, while 14 were approved for funding under Community Fund Scheme.
“Seven were considered under the Taraba Community Fund and the other seven, under Edo Community Fund. These organisations will be receiving grants ranging from N30 million, depending on the scope and reach of projects proposed,” he said.
Danjuma said the organisations approved for the award would work in the foundation’s three thematic areas.
According to him, the objective of the foundation is to deliver service that can impact positively on the lives of Nigerians and expressed the determination of the foundation to complement government’s efforts to build a nation where citizens could have access to affordable quality health care, education and equal opportunities.
“The philanthropic space in Nigeria is empty but the need and cry for help from communities are huge; we cannot keep looking up to foreign donors and philanthropists to fill this gap, “ Danjuma said.
Danjuma called on all well-meaning Nigerians who were endowed to commit to giving back to the society.
He also Danjuma urged the grantees to develop their capacity as individual and corporate organisations and render service to communities.
“ We are very meticulous in managing our projects and tracking the utilisation of funds to ensure that the resources are deployed transparently,“ he said.
Danjuma said the foundation had spent N809 million since its inception in 2009, when it started with four pioneer grantees implementing health projects in Taraba and Edo.
Dr Sunday Odihiri, Country Director of the Leprosy Mission Nigeria (LMN), expressed happiness that his organisation was one of the awardees and thanked the foundation for the gesture.
“For us in the mission, we are highly excited because persons affected by leprosy are the poorest of the poor wherever you find them in the society.
“Therefore, for the foundation to have selected LMN to benefit from the grants means that it is really focusing on the less privileged in the country,’’ he said.
According to Odihiri, It is a wonderful development in Nigeria to have an indigenous grant-making organisation that is working to address the problems of the people.