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Hunger Alleviation: Dangote’s over 1 million rice gets to 17 states
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
So far, 17 states have received their shares of the over 1 million 10kg rice, being distributed by the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), across the 774 local governments in Nigeria
KANO FOCUS reports that Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the ADF, Zouera Youssoufou, said the Foundation would ensure that all the local governments in Nigeria get their shares of the rice before the end of the Ramadan period.
Youssoufou, said, that the Foundation is partnering with credible NGOs, civil societies, and religious bodies among others to ensure the donations go to the most vulnerable in all the states and local governments across Nigeria.
She said the Foundation is guided by a vision of empowering Africans to achieve their self-actualization and full potential as it believes that every individual, regardless of their circumstances, deserves the opportunity to thrive and succeed.
It would be recalled that the ADF, recently flagged off the distribution of over 1,000,000, (One million) bags of 10kg rice across all the 774 local governments in Nigeria in Kano and Lagos respectively.
President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, who is also the Chairman of ADF, was present at both the flagging-off ceremony in Kano and Lagos, where 120,000 and 80,000 bags of 10kg rice were distributed to both Kano and Lagos states respectively said he has resolved to do all within his powers to assist all the tiers of the Government in alleviating poverty in Nigeria.
Dangote said the food intervention programme, demonstrates his foundation’s commitment to upholding the values of compassion and solidarity that are at the core of humanity. Dangote said the initiative is a crucial step towards alleviating the ongoing economic challenges faced by our nation.
He also emphasised the importance of compassion and generosity during the holy month of Ramadan, stressing that, all stakeholders must play a part, in supporting the government to alleviate hunger in the land. “Our distribution of rice symbolises our commitment to upholding the values of compassion and solidarity, which are at the core of our humanity.” ADF will spearhead the food intervention programme and will run from March to early April 2024.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Kano, the Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, urged other wealthy Nigerians to emulate Aliko Dangote by supporting the government in the provision of palliative to cushion the harsh economic condition in the country, he said: “I do not have enough words to express my heartfelt gratitude to Alhaji Aliko Dangote on behalf of the good people of Kano State. “This is because the gesture he is offering today will undoubtedly alleviate the burden of many families facing economic hardship in our state. I urge all other wealthy individuals and businesses in our community to take heed of this noble example set by the Dangote Group and extend similar gestures of support to those in need in our dear state.”
In the same vein, Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu of Lagos State said the gesture of distribution of 80,000 bags of 10kg rice shows that the leadership of the Foundation prioritizes the welfare of the people beyond the pursuit of profit and accumulation of wealth.
The Governor said: “Aliko Dangote is a Nigerian that has chosen to be different. You have choices but you have made the right one which, is caring for the vulnerable. I appreciate Mr. Aliko Dangote for extending his kind gestures to the people at the bottom of the pyramid and we are grateful for supporting us in government. There is a lot of global disruption in different parts of the world, and it is a tough time to be in a position of leadership,” he said.
While encouraging other wealthy Nigerians to emulate Dangote, the Governor said the distribution of rice, to the vulnerable, would support the initiative of the state in addressing the effects of the economic hardship.
Group Executive Director of Commercial Operations at Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Fatima Aliko-Dangote, noted that the flag-off in Lagos is a follow-up to the 120,000 bags distributed in Kano last Saturday.
“We have been doing this for a while but we didn’t publicize it because our chairman believes this is between him and God but this year we decided to publicize it so that we can encourage and inspire others to do so.
“There are many other things the Dangote Foundation is also doing. We are also serving 2,500 breads all over Lagos daily. We started this in 2020 during COVID-19. Also in our hometown in Kano, we have been doing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the past 35 years. The foundation has invested in many things. Years back, we gave women some money to be able to invest in their businesses,” she said.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government says it has executed 1,508 development projects worth more than N928 billion across the state’s 44 local government areas since Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf assumed office, with about 80 per cent of constituency projects awarded between 2023 and 2025 already completed.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Comrade Nura Iro Ma’aji Sumaila, disclosed this during an international press briefing on the administration’s infrastructure development programme.
According to Comrade Sumaila, the projects cover critical sectors including roads, urban renewal, education, healthcare, security and other social infrastructure.
He said 799 of the projects have been completed, while 709 are at various stages of execution. He added that the state is also implementing 619 constituency projects through members of the Kano State House of Assembly.
The commissioner noted that about 80 per cent of the constituency projects have been completed. However, he said some projects remain unfinished because of rising construction costs caused by inflation.
He said the government has submitted a request to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for an upward review of contract sums to enable contractors complete the affected projects.
Breakdown of projects
Comrade Sumaila said the administration spent over N169 billion on urban renewal projects, including road rehabilitation, drainage construction and other metropolitan infrastructure.
He said another N118 billion was committed to constructing five-kilometre roads in 38 local government areas to improve connectivity across the state.
According to him, the government also awarded contracts worth over N6.8 billion for the construction of Kano State Neighbourhood Watch security divisions in 36 local government areas.
He added that rural infrastructure projects covering education, healthcare and other social interventions across the 44 local government areas account for contracts valued at more than N397 billion, while other ongoing projects have a combined value of about N255 billion.
Commitment to transparency
The commissioner said the Ministry of Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation would continue to ensure compliance with due process and technical standards in the execution of government projects.
He said the ministry’s mandate includes monitoring projects to ensure value for money and prudent utilisation of public resources.
According to him, the administration’s investments in infrastructure are intended to improve mobility, strengthen security, expand access to education and healthcare, improve water supply and stimulate economic growth across the state.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has emerged as the highest-ranked sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, according to the latest Sub-National Education Spending Index developed by the University of Paris.
KANO FOCUS reports that the ranking places Kano State first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across 15 ECOWAS member countries, underscoring the state’s growing reputation for prioritising investment in education.
According to the published index, Kano topped the rankings with an overall S-WAESI score of 87.21, outperforming other leading regions, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. Lagos State was the second Nigerian state on the list, ranking 16th overall.
The assessment evaluated states and regions using the S-WAESI (Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index) methodology, which measures government commitment to education through indicators such as actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, education priority, transparency and evidence-based reporting.
The methodology assigns 35 points to actual education spending, 25 points to spending per student, 20 points to budget execution, 10 points to education priority and 10 points to transparency.
The report indicated that Kano excelled largely due to its strong actual education spending and budget execution, making it the best-performing sub-national government in the region.
The ranking covered states, regions, districts and municipalities across Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) said the recognition reflects Kano State Government’s sustained investment in expanding access to education, improving school infrastructure and strengthening educational planning and budget implementation.
KANO FOCUS reports that the achievement is expected to further boost the state’s profile as a leader in education reform within West Africa and provide additional momentum for ongoing efforts to improve learning outcomes across the state.
The latest ranking comes amid renewed attention on education financing across ECOWAS, with experts increasingly emphasising transparent budgeting, efficient resource utilisation and sustained public investment as critical drivers of quality education.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the World Bank-supported HOPE Governance Programme after qualifying for a total of $3.5 million in performance-based incentives for implementing key governance, education and healthcare reforms.
KANO FOCUS reports that the World Bank, through the HOPE Governance Programme domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, approved $27 million in incentives for states that successfully met the Year Zero Disbursement-Linked Results (DLRs).
The National Coordinator of the HOPE Governance Programme, Assad Hassan, announced the incentives on Tuesday in Abuja during a retreat attended by commissioners, permanent secretaries and directors of budget and planning from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
A statement issued by the programme’s Communications Officer, Joe Mutah, said the incentives were based on the recommendations of the Interim Independent Verification Agent, which assessed states’ performance against agreed reform indicators.
Kano ranked among the highest-performing states, qualifying for incentives under three separate reform indicators.
The state will receive $1.5 million under Disbursement-Linked Result (DLR) 2.1 for adopting comprehensive guidelines for the preparation and submission of consolidated work plans for the state basic education budget.
It also qualified for another $1.5 million under DLR 2.2, which recognises states that adopted comprehensive guidelines for consolidated work plans for state primary healthcare budgets.
In addition, Kano secured $500,000 under DLR 2.3 for adopting harmonised budget guidelines and a unified chart of accounts for local governments.
Altogether, the state is expected to receive $3.5 million, making it one of the top-performing states under the programme.
Only five states—Bayelsa, Borno, Kano, Kebbi and Yobe—qualified for both the education and healthcare planning incentives, earning $3 million each from the two indicators alone.
Kano further distinguished itself by qualifying under the local government budgeting reform indicator, increasing its total allocation to $3.5 million.
The state also featured among 15 states that met the requirements under DLR 4.1, which rewards states for publishing their 2025 Citizens Budget for basic education and primary healthcare by February 28, 2025. Each qualifying state under this indicator will receive $500,000.
Other states that qualified under DLR 4.1 are Abia, Bayelsa, Borno, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau and Yobe.
According to the programme, the performance-based incentives are designed to encourage states to strengthen governance systems, improve budget transparency and enhance planning in the education and primary healthcare sectors.
KANO FOCUS reports that the HOPE Governance Programme is a World Bank-supported initiative implemented through the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to promote improved public financial management and better service delivery across Nigeria’s states.
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