Dangote donates N200million to flood victims

Nigeria’s richest man, Aliko Dangote has donated N200 million to victims of flood in Nigeria’s Kogi state.

The donation is made of N50 million food items and N150 million cash, a total of $1,250,000. The donation is only a part of the assistance Dangote planned to offer the people of the state. In addition, he planned to empower 1,000 women in each of the 21 local councils in the state, for which he has set aside another N230 million. Each woman, will collect a grant of N10,000, about $65 to start petty business.

Dangote made the donation Saturday during a sympathy visit to the state government in the capital of Lokoja. It was at a ceremony attended by top government functionaries in the Kogi state capital Lokoja, Alhaji Aliko Dangote said the contribution which is given through his Dangote Foundation is meant to complement the effort of the government in providing relief materials to victims of flood disaster and resettling them as soon as possible.

Dangote, who said he was personally touched by the plight of the victims, described the flood disaster as unprecedented.

He urged the victims to see the disaster as an act of God, saying that it had become imperative for corporate organisations and public-spirited individuals to lend a helping hand.

Dangote who was accompanied by his daughter, Hajia Halima, commended Governor Idris Wada for quickly putting in place measures to ameliorate the plight of the victims.

He praised the Federal Government for its quick intervention through the National Emergency Management Agency which he said dispatched a search and rescue team to Ibaji Local Government to rescue victims and donated drugs, clothes and other items to the victims.

Dangote said he planned to empower 21,000 women in Kogi by giving them N10, 000 each to enable them start petty businesses.

He said the beneficiaries should be selected on the basis of 1, 000 women per local government, saying he had set aside N230 million for the scheme expected to take off in the next one month.

Dangote, along with the governor, later inspected some of the flooded parts of Lokoja and also visited some of the victims at their temporary camp at St Luke Primary School, Adankolo.

Responding, Wada described the gesture as overwhelming, adding that it was the largest donation received so far by the state government on behalf of the victims.

He said that the flood problem was of historic significance to the people of the state as many of them took things for granted.
Responding, the state governor Captain Idris Wada described both the flood disaster, and the donation by the Dangote Foundation as extraordinarily unprecedented in the history of the state.

He said 73 resettlement centres have been opened for the victims from the affected nine local governments, adding that one of the local governments was completely submerged.

The governor said the donation by the pan African conglomerate is indescribable. While thanking him, he assured that the Dangote’s N230million meant for women empowerment scheme would help in gingering the economy of the state, and create stability in families.

Kogi State is home to Dangote’s cement factory which is reckoned to be one of world’s largest. It also hosts Dangote Academy of Learning and Development where young local talents are trained to boost the manpower needs of the nation’s industries.

In a similar donation, last year, the Dangote Foundation gave out a stunning N600million for the economic empowerment of women in Kano State.

In his speech titled: Lending a helping hand, Dangote said he was seriously touched by the pain and grief the victims are passing through, saying it has led to the loss of lives, property and may lead to spread of diseases and epidemics.

“Obviously, the government alone cannot shoulder this onerous responsibility of bringing relief to the victims. The private sector and public-spirited individuals should join hands with the government to assist the victims of this national disaster that has ravaged about 21 states of the federation,” he said.
He also announced that the Dangote Foundation is jerking philanthropic profile across the world.
After the donation, he visited some of the resettlement centres and affected areas to commiserated with them.
Dangote Foundation has been described as the continent’s biggest donor when it philanthropic works last year soar significantly, hitting N16billion.

Early this year, the Dangote Foundation donated $500,000 to victims of explosion in Republic of Congo.

With tentacles in 14 African countries, Dangote has been adjudged as one of the biggest employers of labour outside government in Africa.

Dangote also plans to go global by investing in other continents.

In February, President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the group’s Ibese plant with an annual capacity of six million metric tons. The plant is expected to create jobs for some 10,000 people.

The conglomerate currently provides about 40, 000 jobs, making biggest employer outside government. It also pays about N50 billion in tax annually.

Dangote’s charity effort had been extended to African and Asian countries.

Victims of famine in Niger Republic had been given over N120million, while flood victims in Pakistan got $2million from the Dangote group.

Last year, the Dangote Group donated N100million to victims of flood in Lagos and another N70million to flood victims in Oyo State.

The Kogi flood disaster is said to be one of the worst in Nigeria’s history as over a million persons are affected.