The poverty alleviation programme of the Dangote Foundation currently in place in a number of states will be eventually extended to all parts of Nigeria, business mogul Aliko Dangote has announced.

In the latest of its interventions, the foundation last Thursday continued the distribution of N10 billion grants to all the women and youths in Lokoja, Kogi State, under the Dangote Micro-grants Programme.

Through this programme Dangote Foundation intends to provide a one-off grant that would enable its recipients to grow or start an enterprise, invest in product assets, improve the health of their families, and/or take on new activities that reduce their vulnerability and enhance their economic standing.

Speaking in Lokoja, capital of Kogi State in North-Central Nigeria, Dangote said that the cash transfer intervention programme is national in scope and would systematically cover all the 774 local government areas of the country working through partnership with state governments.

Explaining the partnerships with state governments, he said: “This is in keeping with Dangote Foundation’s belief in working through partnerships for effectiveness, scale and impact in tackling the challenges that we face as a nation. This is a key feature of the programme which aims to support and compliment state governments’ poverty reduction efforts.”

Elated by Dangote’s gesture, including Thursday’s donation of N220 million to support 22,000 women across Kogi State’s 21 local government areas by the Dangote Foundation, Kogi State Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, had announced the allocation of 20,000 hectares of land in the state to Dangote Group for its sugar plantation and refinery. He also conferred an honourary membership of the Kogi State Executive Council to Aliko Dangote in recognition of his achievements and also as an extended, value adding, participatory role at the state’s executive council meetings.

In his remarks, Dangote appreciated the Kogi State Government and the people for the good gesture and promised to continue working hand-in-hand with the state government in creating sustainable development that would create more jobs and alleviate poverty in the state.

He said the proposed sugar plantation and refinery in Kogi State would directly employ 30,000 workers, excluding indirect workers.

•Photo shows Aliko Dangote.