The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has started giving out one million bags of rice worth more than N13 billion to people in need all over Nigeria through his Humanitarian Foundation.
The organization is also feeding at least 10,000 Muslims who are fasting throughout the holy month of Ramadan in Kano State.
According to a press release issued by Samira Sanusi, an executive at the Kano-based foundation, the organization intends to distribute one million bags of rice worth more than N13 billion across the 36 states of the federation and Abuja as a means of alleviating the nation’s hardships.
Mrs. Sanusi stated that the act of kindness was performed in addition to the regular delivery of 20,000 loaves of bread to households in Kano and 15,000 to communities in Lagos, a program begun by the foundation in 2020.
Mrs. Sanusi explained that the complementary meals supplied during Ramadan include a range of cuisines such as jollof rice, plain rice with stew, jollof spaghetti, yam, and beans served with chicken and beef. Each meal package includes a bottle of water and a beverage for personal consumption.
Despite the distribution of the free bags of rice to Nigerians, Nigerians berated Dangote, with many noting that a reduction in the price of his products would be better appreciated than these palliatives.
In his reaction, Godspower Etinosa wrote, “This is not what the majority of the people need. Reduce the price of your products; they are expensive, and the common man cannot even afford them anymore. Not this one that you are doing.”
“Is this necessary?” Adam Zubyr asked. “Why not inject the 13 billion naira into the spaghetti, macaroni, and Maggi industries to reduce the cost of these items for at least a year.?” he added.
An X user simply identified as Johnson, wrote, “These don’t solve our hunger problems and poverty alleviation. It scratches the surfaces.
“Alhaji Dangote should see how he gets enough fertilizers, seedlings, and irrigation equipment for both commercial and subsistence farmers in the North and a few other Southern states that are into farming.”
For Adekings, he notes that “Dangote is giving back from what he has collected so far.
“When a bag of cement was not up to N1000, Obasanjo and Co. gave him every license to become a producer. Nobody can deceive God.
“He should use the money to reduce the price of his product. This can’t reach everybody.”
Abubakar Sadeeq also urged Dangote to reduce the cost of his products instead of dishing out palliatives.
“It has nothing to do with the current situation we’re in Nigeria; instead, reduce the price or put that 13 billion naira as a subsidy. With this, everyone in Nigeria will benefit even if it lasts for a week.” Sadeeq states.
“If he wants to help the masses, let him reduce all his products by 50%. Enough of all this cheap act by billionaires who throw 100 pieces of bread to thousands of people and call themselves philanthropists,” Afolabi argues.
Reacting to the announcement, Ebenezer Julius argues that “no wonder the prices of your product keep getting high; you need to raise money for your foundation, helping the poor by killing the poor.”
Haris Nataala noted that Nigerians would prefer to be able to afford his products instead of getting free bags of rice.
“Instead, he should reduce the prices of his products. People don’t want his palliative or something free from him; Nigerians want him to reduce the prices of his products so that they can afford to buy them to feed their families.” Nataala stated.
