The President of Dangote Industries Limited and Chairman of the National Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation, Aliko Dangote, has donated N1 billion to help assuage the pains of the Maiduguri flood victims in the Borno State capital.

The Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation (PCFRR), which Dangote heads, also donated another sum of N1 billion to the cause, to help the victims of the flooding.

During an on-the-spot inspection of the disaster-stricken areas on Friday, September 13, 2024, Dangote, who is also the Chairman of Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), empathised with the victims and rallied for support from other Nigerians and willing stakeholders.

Speaking on the flooding incident, Dangote described the sight as “mindboggling”, saying he has “never seen a disaster of this scale before”.

He said: “I am moved with pity; I have never seen a disaster of this magnitude before. The state needs urgent help and intervention from well-meaning Nigerians and stakeholders.

NEMA: 259 dead, 625,239 Nigerians displaced by floods

“A lot of infrastructural development needs to be done; the houses and roads need urgent attention for people to get their lives back. Again, we are asking that corporate organisations need to intervene and provide succour in every way possible as the government cannot do it alone.”

In his remarks, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum appreciated Dangote’s support, stating that he has contributed immensely to the development of Borno State.

Zulum added that he was not surprised to see the business mogul visit the disaster area as a solidarity gesture.

He, however, called on well-meaning Nigerians to emulate Dangote in his charitable contributions.

It would be recalled that the incident has displaced over a million residents and about 30 persons have been confirmed dead.

The Director-General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Barkindo Mohammed, said: “As of 5 p.m. on Thursday, SEMA evacuated 3,683 persons from their homes in a rescue operation. The search and rescue operation is still ongoing.

“The mode of rescue involves motorists, boats, canoes, divers, military, and fire service trucks, among others. As the water continues to recede, we are concentrating on those who make distress calls and will start search and rescue today and tomorrow.”

The Star