Our target is to reach one million vulnerable with our palliative rice nation-wide—-Dangote

Dangote have started the distribution of one million bags of rice to Nigerians as part of the company’s intervention to addressing mounting socio-economic hardship which most Nigerians are grappling with.

Lagos state has received 80,000 bags of the palliative rice as confirmed by Governor Sanwolu.

Flagging-off the rice distribution in Kano State, Dangote’s country home and Lagos, Headquarters of Dangote Group, simultaneously on Saturday, Aliko Dangote declared that the one million bags of 10kg rice cost Dangote Group N5 billion to secure for Nigerians.

According to him, about 120,000 bags of the rice are to be distributed to the vulnerable Nigerians in Kano and Lagos States each, meaning that both States are to get a total of 240,000 bags out of the one million bags of the rice.

He noted that the remaining 860,000 bags of the rice were slated for distribution in the remaining 34 others states of the Federation in line with the company core value of being compassionate to the less privileged members of the society.

“It is with a great sense of humility that I stand before you today to flag-off the distribution of 1 million of 10kg size bags of rice. The distribution of the rice is targeted at vulnerable people in the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria.

“The cost of the rice being distributed is N5 billion, and the distribution is being flagged-off simultaneously today, here in Kano, and Lagos. Each of the two States have been allocated 120,000 bags of rice for distribution.

“We embark upon this project in response to the harsh economic situation which most Nigerians are currently being confronted with. This project is being implemented in line with our company core value of compassion”, he explained.

Dangote said that the distribution of the rice, was a follow up to the company’s other humanitarian support of feeding over 10,000 people daily in Kano, as well as the company ongoing Ramadan Feeding Programme, across the State.

He added that the company had also put in place many other intervention programmes to assist the less privileged members of the Nigerian society, noting that such programmes were geared at helping the people and Nigeria to be self -sufficient.

Responding, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano Stata commended the public-spirited nature of Aliko Dangote, as well as that of his company which informed the floating of the Foundation that is over 30 years old.

The governor noted that the distribution of the rice was not the first philanthropic gesture which the businessman had been carrying out in the State that had impacted on the well-being of the people of the State.

Meanwhile, in order to effectively get the rice to the targeted set of people in the State, Governor Abba stated that his Administration had set up a Special Committee under the supervision of the State Hisbah Command to identify people that are to be given the rice.

He however called on other well-to-do people in the State to emulate the humanitarian activities of Aliko Dangote, praying to Allah to continue to grant him more wisdom and increase his wealth.