UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon yesterday in Abuja commended Africa’s richest man and Chairman of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote for his philanthropic gestures, assuring that posterity would be kind to him.
Ki-Moon who is on a two-day working visit to Nigeria, described activities of the foundation as a commendable ‘dedication to humanity.’
Addressing members of Nigeria’s business community in Abuja at a meeting hosted by the Dangote Group, the UN scribe urged other leaders to emulate Dangote in the efforts to make the world a better place.
He said: “Let me thank Mr. Aliko Dangote, our host for bringing us together. I appreciate the strong support you have given me as a key member of the Steering Committee of my Global Education First Initiative, and your dedication to humanity the Dangote Foundation.
“Nigeria can spark the race to the top and demonstrate to the region, and to the world that a pathway to sustainable development is possible.”
Reacting, Dangote said his group is not resting on its oars in the areas of philanthropy, because he owes his wealth to the society that has been kind to him.
He lamented the level of poverty in the country, especially a situation where over 60 per cent of the population in the North West and North East are in severe poverty, noting that it was only Nigeria that recorded economic growth without reduction in poverty
He therefore called other investors to join him in changing the lives of Nigerians and the African people and join hands with the United Nations to actualize its various social and economic reform programmes in Africa.
Dangote said that his group was supporting the government in growing the real sector of the economy.
“The business community is very supportive of what government is doing and it is our hope that economic growth will recover very soon as a result of these measures.
“I believe that supporting social and economic change through social investments and interventions that improve the lives of the less fortunate is will make a positive difference in the growth of my nation.”
Speaking, Ms. Amina Muhammad, Special Advisor to the UN scribe on Post-2015 Development Planning said the UN is collaborating with key stakeholders and the Nigerian Government to stake up it works in the country.
She however added that some of the gains of the UN efforts have been wiped out in the North East part of the country.
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