Dangote Distributes 106 Truck Load of Food Items to IDPs in Borno

Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

The Dangote Foundation monday commenced the distribution of 106 trucks of food items to internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri.

The food items are to feed the over 30,000 persons living in all the IDP camps in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, during the ongoing Ramadan.

The food items, were in keeping with the earlier promise of the billionaire businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to the state.

The richest African had earlier donated N2 billion for the rebuilding and rehabilitation of education, health and job creation sectors in the state.

Commencing the distribution at the Maiduguri Bakasi camp, chairperson of the Foundation, Zouwaira Youssufu disclosed that the distribution of food items to IDPs in camps during the Ramadan fast was in fulfillment of Aliko Dangote’s promise to feed insurgency
displaced persons.

She said: “For further clarifications, this Ramadan gift is in addition to the N2 billion that Aliko Dangote has donated for the rebuilding and focusing on education, health and economic empowerment.”
Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, who was present at the occasion, said in a time of very serious challenges, the foundation has stood firmly on the side of the people.

He said this was not the first time that the foundation was intervening in the state, adding that a year ago, it donated the sum of N400 million to 40,000 IDPs and indigent people of the state.
He added that: “Apart from that; for the past couple of years, the foundation had been sending food items for distribution to the people of the state.”

He assured the foundation that the N2billion pledge would be judiciously utilised for the good of people in areas of health, education and gender empowerment.

He said: “We will only give the list of the projects that the foundation will
support; because we do not want to be given a dime out of the money. We do not want the funds to be channeled to Borno State Government.”