Dangote wants to be Africa's biggest philanthropist

Nigeria's billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that he wants to be known as the biggest philanthropist in Africa.

Dangote made this known at the weekend during the inauguration of the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s “one-off and unconditional micro-grants” programme in Niger state.

The scheme, according to the statement, targets 25,000 disadvantaged and vulnerable women in Niger state, who will each be given N10,000 cash “to boost their household income generation.”

Dangote, at the programme, which held at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, Minna, said his foundation had earmarked N10bn for the empowerment of vulnerable women in the 774 local government areas of the country.

“I do not only want to be known as Africa’s richest man, but the biggest philanthropist,” he said.

“I will continue to use my resources and my voice to help shape a better Nigeria, and Africa as a whole.”

He added that the Aliko Dangote Foundation had disbursed N2.5bn to 256,500 women across Kano, Lagos, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

Halima Aliko-Dangote, executive director of the foundation, said the organisation is poised to help lift the status of women in the country.

“If you empower a woman, you empower the whole nation,” she said.

The managing director of the foundation, Zouera Yussouffou, said the micro-grant scheme was one of the foundation’s four focuses, with others being health and nutrition; education; economic empowerment and disaster relief.