Dangote Foundation (ADF) has been recognised for its love towards empowering women as the Foundation not only sees them as essential to building thriving communities, but represent one of the biggest accelerators of economic growth globally.
Recently, the foundation doled out a whooping N4.2 billion as part of its unconditional micro grant programme for empowering women in the rural areas across the country.
Speaking at the flag-off of its one-off unconditional micro-grants programme Tuesday in Bauchi, the chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation said 20,000 vulnerable women across the 20 local government areas of the state have been empowered.
Dangote, who was represented by the company’s group executive director, Government and Strategic Relations, Mansur Ahmed, said, so far, over 400,000 poor women have benefited from the programme in the country.
He said, in Bauchi State, N200million is currently being disbursed to vulnerable women across the 20 local government areas.
According to the Africa’s top philanthropist, the unconditional micro grant is aimed at supporting government effort at empowering poor families in the state.
He noted that the foundation had earmarked N10billion to be disbursed to vulnerable women across the 774 local government areas in the country.
Dangote added that states that have also benefitted from the scheme include: Lagos, Kano, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Niger, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Katsina and Kwara, adding that the next states to benefit from the programme are: Osun, Edo, Ogun, Rivers, Anambra and Ebonyi.
“The micro-grants programme is one component of the economic empowerment pillar of the Aliko Dangote Foundation. It provides disadvantaged and vulnerable women with a one-off, unconditional N10,000,00 cash transfer to boost their household income generation. This we believe will help reduce their vulnerability and meet their livelihood needs,” he added.
He expressed optimism that the intervention will support lives and livelihoods of women, children and families in Bauchi State.
According to him, “Aliko Dangote is a beacon of hope for the Bauchi people. He has been creating not only business institutions at the highest level but also touching lives at the lowest level. He seems to understand Nigeria more than some of us who are politicians. He’s supporting our mothers who will help put food on our tables and train their children in schools.
“We have just named the school of nursing and midwifery after him. This is to mark his huge contribution to our societies in Bauchi. We are also using this opportunity to inform him that he should come and invest in Bauchi. We have the highest deposit of limestone in the country. We have the largest arable land and the largest forest. Bauchi is also very peaceful and secure.”
The governor also presented a book to the Aliko Dangote Foundation. The book was written over a 100 years ago by Sheik Uthman Danfodio, and titled: ‘The Principle of Leadership’.
Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, described the intervention as huge, and maintained that it would go a long way in supporting the poverty alleviation stride of the state government.
He said the state will continue to collaborate with the foundation in the area of economic empowerment of women.
Commending the foundation, First Lady and wife of the governor, Mrs Aisha Bala Muhammad, said the intervention will help lift families from economic problems, even as she urged the women to invest wisely.
One of the beneficiaries, Amina Musa, 50, said she would start a micro business and use the profit to support her family. Another beneficiary, Jumai Rabiu, 47, described the intervention as huge and timely, adding that she will use the money judiciously and employ others too.
Recently, the managing director and chief executive of ADF, Zouera Youssoufou, explained that the empowerment programme is an ongoing activity of the foundation and that while some local governments have already been covered, all rural women in local government areas across the country will benefit from this noble gesture from Aliko Dangote.
According to her, “the focus is on women because we all need to note that once you support a woman, you are supporting the whole family and the multiplier effects of that will be very great.”
Recall that ADF recently launched a major philanthropic programme in Zamfara State, doling out food items running into several millions of naira to support victims of insurgency.
The farmer-herder clash and sporadic attacks by cattle rustlers have displaced thousands, many of whom are currently seeking refuge at Maradun local government area of the state.
According to official reports, over 3,000 people have been killed, about 100,000 displaced, of which about 30,000 are in Maradun local council, and over 500 people kidnapped.
Meanwhile, the president of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote was rated the world’s sixth largest donor and Africa’s richest person for almost a decade. His Aliko Dangote Foundation has been endowed with a staggering $1.25 billion. He was also listed by Forbes Magazine among the 75 people that make the world turn.
Dangote Foundation had also injected over N7 billion to create succour in North East in the wake of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) is the private charitable foundation of Aliko Dangote.
Incorporated in 1994 as Dangote Foundation, with the mission to enhance opportunities for social change through strategic investments that improve health and wellbeing, promote quality education and broaden economic empowerment opportunities. 27 years later, the foundation has become the largest private foundation in sub-Saharan Africa with the largest endowment by a single African donor.
