The Dangote Foundation has contributed $500,000 (N79.15 million) through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support the Federal Government’s response to the recent measles outbreak that affected many states in Nigeria.
The donation was announced on April 12 in Lagos during a visit to the office of the Chairman of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, by a delegation of the UNICEF led by the Country Representative, Ms. Jean Gough.
Gough lauded Dangote Foundation saying: “Public-Private sector interventions such as these in the health sector and other sectors such as water and early childhood development are the way forward for Nigeria to improve the well-being of Nigeria children.”
The grant is a major contribution to government’s fight against measles which is among the leading causes of child deaths in Nigeria, especially in areas where immunization coverage is low. The trend of measles follows a seasonal pattern with periods of high transmission (January to June) and low transmission (July to December). The disease peaks in March.
The UNICEF Representative commended the Foundation for the exemplary leadership being provided in Nigeria's effort to tackle vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, polio eradication and improve primary health care services.
This year, 16,809 suspected measles cases have so far been reported across 614 Local Government Areas in Nigeria. In collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners, UNICEF has provided support to government with resource mobilization as well as in the provision of technical support.
The grant from Dangote Foundation, Gough pointed out, will support the measles campaign of the government through its Ministry of Health and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
The agency will conduct a measles campaign, targeting children below six years in states affected by measles outbreak, from 13-16, April 2013. This will be integrated with polio campaign to be conducted on the same dates. The grant is specifically for the procurement of 1.7 million doses of measles vaccine and the gesture demonstrates the key role the private sector can play working in partnership with government and other partners in mitigating public health problems in Nigeria.
Dangote said the issue of health and safe living was a core responsibility in the discharge of the corporate social responsibility of the Foundation pointing out that “we have a common synergy with UNICEF in the areas of health, education and nutrition and we hope that our efforts will encourage even more private sector engage with on-going efforts to improve the well-being of Nigerian.”

 

Aliko Dangote & Bill Gates joined forces in the battle against polio, which has seen a resurgence in Nigeria despite efforts to eradicate it.

Nigeria is one of only three countries still considered to have endemic polio, alongside Pakistan and Afghanistan. Since 2003, Kano has been especially hard hit by the transmission of the polio virus in Nigeria following the state government’s suspension of immunization programme for 13 months due to apprehensions amongst some the citizens. In 2011, Nigeria recorded 62 polio cases, including 17 in Kano.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ foundation and that of Aliko Dangote, announced an alliance during a ceremony in Kano, Nigeria’s second city. Under the four-year alliance, the Bill and Melinda Gates and Dangote foundations would provide funding, equipment and technical support to the Kano state government to strengthen polio immunisation. Eradicating polio “will be Kano’s gift to Nigeria and Nigeria’s gift to the world,” Jeff Raikes, the head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said at the ceremony.

“Me and Bill Gates met in New York and agreed to partner and intervene in polio eradication. There is no reason for any one of us not to assist in keeping our people healthy,” said Dangote, who is from Kano.

In the wake of a devastating flood in Nigeria that has killed at least 360 people and left more than 2 million people homeless, Aliko Dangote announced a relief fund contribution of $15.8 million (N2.5 billion) to the relief effort.

“We should give while we are alive and also when we are young and capable. Sometimes, we need to have the genuine experience of deprivation and poverty in order to appreciate the need to be our brother’s keeper,” Dangote said .”My visit to Kogi flood victims was an eye-opener. It is a fulfilling journey when we experience it. We should all be problem solvers and ready to make people happy when the opportunity comes. Nobody says ‘thank you’ for growing a profitable company, but people will say ‘thank you’ when you give.” he added.

Aliko Dangote is opted as the Co-Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief & Rehabilitation formed to spearhead the flood relief operations through effective fund raising.

More Information : http://nigeriafloodrelief.org/home

Dangote Foundation donated $ 2 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help the survivors of the devastating floods in Pakistan in September 2010. The Dangote Foundation and the entire management and staff of Dangote Industries Limited feel a real need to make a modest contribution to help make life a little more bearable for the survivors in Pakistan, said Aliko Dangote, while announcing the donation. The hearts of all Africans go out to the people of Pakistan as they go through this ordeal. Africa is not only a recipient of humanitarian aid, but is also able to help her brothers and sisters in Pakistan and elsewhere where there is suffering. Helping our family, in this case our global family, is part of Africa's traditional values. The donations helped to provided life-saving food relief to the millions of Pakistanis whose lives have been turned upside down by the disaster. It also facilitated the WFP logistics of the entire humanitarian community working to supply urgent food and other supplies to the estimated six million Pakistanis, who have lost their homes and livelihoods due to the heavy monsoon rains that devastated the country. Commenting on the donation made by Dangote Foundation, Sandy Westlake of the United Nations World Food Programme, Private Sector Partnerships, said :We are completely humbled by the Dangote Foundation's generous donation on behalf of WFP and the people of Pakistan. Your contribution will make a life-saving difference and allow WFP to continue its important work on the ground. The funds for Pakistan are absolutely critical and will do a lot to further WFP's focus on saving lives in the flood zone. Westlake, also described the donation as a testament to the Dangote Foundation's commitment to broadening its philanthropic reach globally, while support at this level was crucial towards providing immediate food relief to those most affected by the flood. High Commissioner for Pakistan, Rtd. Major General Asif Duraiz Akhatar, expressed gratitude to the Dangote Foundation, assuring that The people and government of Pakistan will forever remain grateful to the Dangote Foundation for this big sacrifice that will greatly address the needs of the people.

President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has helped to ameliorate the sufferings of victims of ammunition dump explosion in Congo with a donation of $ 500,000. A series of explosions at an ammunition depot on 4th March, 2012 killed 200 people and wounded about 2,000 more in Brazzaville, the capital of Republic of Congo. The explosions occurred shortly when a fire at the depot set off a cache of tank shells. Dangote announced the donation while on condolence visit to the President of Republic of Congo Denis Sassou-Nguesso. Speaking at the President’s office in Brazzaville, Dangote said the visit was to commiserate with the President and people of Republic of Congo on the ammunition dump explosion that killed over 200 people. He said Dangote Group feels the pains and sufferings of the victims of the explosion, adding that the donation is a gesture towards ameliorating the plight of the affected people. He prayed that such disaster will not occur again in Congo. In his response, the President of Congo, Denis Sassou-Nguesso expressed appreciation for the donation saying that the gesture is a true reflection of Dangote Group’s pan-African stance. Thanking Dangote for the donation, he said that Africa needs people like him who have human sympathy. The Congolese President stated that Government has started reconstruction of houses for the affected in the explosion adding that “this contribution will go a long way in building new houses for the victims”. The President Sassou-Nguesso also thanked Dangote for the Group’s projects in Congo.