President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has donated a total of 150 operational vehicles to the Nigeria Police.
The fully-kitted vehicles were presented to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, by the Aliko Dangote Foundation, at a ceremony that had the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and ministers in attendance.
Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Osinbajo said the donation was the single largest ever.
The vice president, who lauded Dangote’s unparalleled philanthropy, described the billionaire as a rare entrepreneur.
“The donation of 150 cars to the Nigerian Police Force is laudable and we thank Aliko Dangote Foundation for this rare gesture that is characteristic of the person of Aliko Dangote.
“He has shown over the years to be an entrepreneur with a difference, a man that gives willingly to the poor,” Osinbajo said.
In his address, Dangote, who is chairman of the Foundation, pledged to make additional donations, as part of his contributions towards crime fighting and prevention.
Dangote noted that the gesture was informed by the fact that security is essential to economic development.
His words: “We are gathered here today to mark the formal handover of a total number of 150 GAC saloon cars to the Nigeria Police Force in order to help boost their operational efficiency. I am told that today marks the single biggest number of operational vehicles ever donated to the law enforcement agency by a private organisation.
“Considering the challenges government faces in meeting the entire needs of the populace for necessities like health, education and security, various Public Private Partnerships (PPP) initiatives have been developed. These are partnerships where the private sector collaborates with the public sector to provide services.”
This was as he further disclosed that the Foundation had been active in the four areas of health, education, economic empowerment and disaster relief, and had expended upwards of N10 billion annually.
“Today, we are deepening our intervention in security with the donation of these 150 fully kitted operational vehicles to the Police Force. These vehicles will support the Nigeria Police Force in surveillance, crime prevention and promote law and order,” Dangote said.
In another development, Dangote said that he would like to be known as the biggest philanthropist on the continent.
Dangote stated this yesterday in Lafia while disbursing N130 million micro grants to 13,000 vulnerable and less privileged women in Nasarawa State.
“I do not only want to be known as Africa’s richest man, but the biggest philanthropist in Africa. I will continue to use my resources and my voice to help shape a better Nigeria and Africa as a whole,” he said.
Dangote said he started the foundation in 1993 to improve the lives of the less fortunate and make a positive difference in the growth of Nigeria.
