Africa's richest man Nigerian Aliko Dangote to donate 30 billion naira in 2 years

Africa’s richest person and the continent’s top donor, Aliko Dangote, has doled out about N30billion in humanitarian gesture within two years, a statement issued by the Dangote Group has revealed.
According to the statement, the business mogul would be upping his philanthropic works across Africa, starting from his home country Nigeria.

The group which has made whopping donations across Africa said, “Africa must begin to take responsibilities by shaping the condition of its people.”

The statement quoted Alhaji Dangote as saying, “About this philanthropy, I think from this year, I personally want to take it very seriously. I want to be much more aggressive than what we have had in the past.

“We already have a foundation which will do all these things, but I am trying to see what we can do to encourage not only Nigerians but other Africans.”

He added: “I am not going to give all my money to charity, but I am going to try my best and give part of that money to charity. I am working hard on it.”
The statement said in Benue State alone, the group has been running an annual scholarship scheme worth 10million to indigenes of Gboko communities.

It said that, in Benue State, 15 villages were electrified at the cost of N115million, adding that 14 blocks of classrooms have been constructed for the community around the company at the cost of N84billion.

It added that 19 boreholes were constructed for the communities and that an earth dam valued at N50million was also constructed.

The statement said that apart from the monthly payment of allowances to traditional rulers, a vigilante contract to ensure N2million regular income to the community was also instituted.

“We have also donated N15million to the community’s development foundation, and we are helping through the community empowerment scheme, while our 100-bed hospital has been approved for construction within the community,” it added.

It in addition to N78million compensation paid during the takeover of the company, an additional N60million inconvenience allowance has been paid to families.

This is including the Dangote Academy that is worth about N1billion, through which manpower is developed across various disciplines.

The statement said that, last month, the Dangote Cement, Ibese, through the Dangote Foundation, announced a scholarship for 50 students of various secondary and tertiary institutions in Yewa community. It further disclosed that the foundation donated $500,000 to victims of explosion in the Republic of Congo and contributed a staggering $2million to flood victims in Pakistan and another N120million to cushion the effect of famine in Niger Republic.

It said that, two years ago, the foundation made a staggering donation of N2.5billion to cushion the effect of flooding in Nigeria, the single highest donation by a private body in the history of Nigeria. The Foundation also donated N430million to flood victims, unemployed youths and women in Kogi State in the same year.

It further emphasised that, three years ago, the Foundation gave out about a billion naira for the economic empowerment of women in Kano State, just as it recently donated N540million to vulnerable women as a result of insurgency in the north-east of Nigeria.

The statement maintained that the Foundation has also pumped over N1billion into the rehabilitation of some Nigerian universities, as part of its contribution to the education sector.

“Two months ago, the Dangote Foundation donated 12 trailer-loads of relief items worth N40million to support the government in bringing succour to victims of communal clashes that displaced people,” the statement noted, adding that the group had also donated N100million to victims of Lagos flooding, another N100million to those in Sokoto and N60million to victims of flooding in Oyo State, two years ago.

Daily Times

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Boko Haram kill over a hundred people in Northern Nigeria

It was another black weekend in Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria, as the terrorist group, Boko Haram, continued their reign of attacks on Saturday, this time killing more than 100 people.

They have also taken the audacious step of hoisting their black and white flag over a town that is 85 kilometers from Maiduguri, the state's capital, which was reportedly left unguarded by the military, a civil defence spokesman and a human rights advocate said Saturday.

The attack caused a cascade, as hundreds of villagers in Askira Uba are currently on the run for safety, after receiving letters from the Islamic extremists threatening attacks.

A confirmation of the attack came from Abbas Gava, spokesman of the Civilian Vigilante group.

The latest attack on Borno comes on the heels of an assurance by the Nigeria Police that insurgency in Nigeria is nearing an end. This is, however, with a prize, as the Force Headquarters have also said there are bound to be more terror attacks.

Nigeria Police Spokesman, Frank Mba, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Sunday Independent in Abuja, at the weekend said the likely upsurge in attacks from terror groups like Boko Haram is a sign of desperation, which he said is rising from the fact that terrorists are being choked out of their comfort zone by the combined efforts of the military, police and international assistance.

The weekend Borno attack has reportedly sacked nine major villages, as survivors recounted how insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and homemade bombs into homes, gunning down people as they tried to escape the fires in the attack on Damboa town launched before dawn Friday.

Also at the weekend, leaders of Damboa town, led a delegation to the Shehu of Borno, with a request for him to intervene to save them from further attacks from the deadly sect that has killed tens of thousands in the area.

The vigilante's spokesman reportedly said that the only defence to the insurgents came from his colleagues, who were armed with clubs and homemade rifles.

Damboa has been under siege for two weeks.

Mba said: "We have stepped up the war against terrorism from all fronts. There is equally a very strong synergy among the security agencies now.

"There is also a global alliance, a global coalition and conscious efforts to mobilise countries around Nigeria and even beyond to join the battle. And so it is obvious that Boko Haram does not have a hiding place now.

"But we expect to see some desperation on their part. It is also our job and that of all Nigerians to put down all forms of desperate actions or activities they may embark on.

"So, we will continue to do what we doing. We will continue to consolidate on our achievements and continue to explore new ways of getting a stronger and upper hand over them and continue to work together with the government, citizens and international community to bring a permanent end to their activities."

Daily Independent

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FIFA to lift ban on Nigeria participating in international football

FIFA are reportedly set to lift the ban placed on Nigeria after the country's government reinstated the ousted members of the Nigerian Football Federation.

Turmoil has reigned in Nigerian football ever since the Super Eagles returned from their failed 2014 World Cup campaign, with NFF members, including president Aminu Maigari, being removed from their positions by government.

That sparked FIFA into action, where an indefinite ban was placed on all footballing activities in the country, ranging from the men's and women's national teams all the way down to the domestic leagues.

However, Nigerian government have since withdrawn their order to suspend the NFF, resulting in FIFA lifting their own ban on the country.

Paul Bassey, spokesman of the NFF's technical committee, briefly stated that "commonsense has now prevailed".

The BBC, meanwhile, quote a top official as saying: "Aggrieved parties have agreed to put the country before personal interest and this is a bold step in our quest to have the ban lifted.
"This should have been sorted earlier but a judiciary workers' strike led to it being delayed. We are extremely confident now that FIFA will be happy that we got everything resolved before the new deadline."

Yahoo

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President Goodluck Jonathan seeking $1 billion loan to fight Boko Haram

Embattled Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday sought parliamentary approval to borrow up to $1 billion (730 million euros) in foreign loan to fight an insurgency by Boko Haram militants which has claimed thousands of lives in the past five years.

In separate letters to both houses of the national assembly, Jonathan said there is an "urgent need" to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of the armed forces and security services help them "confront this serious threat".

Citing the "ongoing and serious security challenges which the nation is facing, as typified by the Boko Haram terrorist threat," Jonathan said he is seeking to borrow up to $1 billion.

No date has been set yet for a debate on the president's request and there is no indication of where Nigeria could borrow from.

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said last February that Boko Haram was "better armed and better motivated" than government forces, a statement rejected by the military.

Borno in the northeast has been under a state of emergency, along with neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states since May last year.

The Islamist rebels seized 276 girls from a secondary school in the Borno town of Chibok more than three months ago, triggering global outrage. Fifty-seven of them escaped while 219 others are still missing.

AFP

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Nigeria FIFA rankings improve to 34th after 2014 World Cup

The Super Eagles have risen up ten places in the latest global rankings released on Thursday following their second round finish in Brazil

Nigeria rose up ten spots to 34th place in the Fifa rankings released on Thursday, courtesy of the Super Eagles' second round finish at the World Cup in Brazil.

The Eagles are now the third-ranked African side behind Algeria and Cote d'Ivoire who finished in the 24th and 25th positions.

World champions Germany (1) climbed to the top of the pile after defeating Argentina (2) in the showpiece final on July 13. The South Americans are now in second place.

The Netherlands who won bronze at the World Cup rose twelve places to finish 3rd on the rankings as Colombia were also rewarded with a 4th position.

Belgium (5) and Uruguay (6) follow but hosts Brazil dropped four places to finish 7th after a disastrous end to their campaign saw them concede 10 times in two matches.

Former world champions Spain fell from first place to 8th spot as they crashed out in the group stage. Switzerland dropped three places to finish 9th while France climbed up seven places to the 10th spot.

England dropped ten places to finish in 20th place after their first round elimination.

In Africa, Ghana dropped one place to finish in 38th place and fifth in Africa with Egypt holding onto the 36th spot and fourth in the region.

Cameroon moved up three places to 53rd depsite losing all three matches at the World Cup. They are now the eighth highest-ranked African side behind Tunisia (42) and Guinea (51) while Burkina Faso (58) and Mali (60) round up the top ten.

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