- COVID-19: Dangote to Lead Private Sector Fund Raising
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, will be leading a group of private sector organisations through Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) to raise funds to support the government’s ongoing efforts at curbing the spread of coronavirus in Nigeria.
The move is in addition to the billionaire’s previous donation of N200 million.
The initiative tagged the Coalition Against Coronavirus (COCAVID) will include the construction of fully-equipped medical tents to accommodate affected persons and serve as training, testing, isolation and treatment centres.
According to the ADF, the COCAVID will be led by Dangote Industries Limited and Access Bank Group in collaboration with Zenith Bank, GTBank, MTN, ITB and other corporate organisations.
President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, explained that “ADF is pulling resources across industries to provide technical and operational support while providing funding and building advocacy through aggressive awareness drives.”
He said, “The coalition is working with Lagos State Government to erect fully-equipped medical tents that will serve as training, testing, isolation and treatment centres. We are also providing an additional facility in Victoria Island, Lagos.”
The billionaire assured that the centres would be fully equipped with medical supplies and trained personnel to cater to patients. “In addition, we will be bringing in experts from around the world to provide technical and training support,” he said.
Dangote said the killer virus affects all and threatens our collective health, economic, social, psychological and physical wellbeing. Therefore, it is important to collaborate and work together against our common enemy.
He disclosed that “Work has commenced to ensure these facilities are completed in good time to serve the growing need of the population during this perilous period.”
“There are currently five Government laboratories equipped to handle all the testing in Nigeria. However, we have many more quality ones that can do it, but are not yet approved by Government to do so,” he noted.