[NIGERIA] Aliko Dangote Foundation promises support for stranded Nigerians in Sudan

The Aliko Dangote Foundation, the private charitable foundation of Africa’s richest man,Aliko Dangote, has pledged to participate fully in the evacuation and resettlement of the many Nigerians stranded in Sudan.

The move by the Aliko Dangote Foundation was prompted by escalating clashes in Sudan, where the military and the main paramilitary force have been engaged in intense conflict. The violence has claimed hundreds of lives, and many more are currently stranded on the Sudan-Egypt border due to Egypt’s visa requirements.

In line with the recent move, the foundation will work alongside the Nigerian government and Air Peace to ensure a smooth transportation process for the evacuees while also providing them with logistics and support to help them settle in more comfortably upon their return to Nigeria.

Zouera Youssoufou, the managing director and CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, has been in communication with the management of Air Peace and the Federal Government regarding the Foundation’s willingness to provide aid to stranded Nigerians.

She stated: “The foundation will collaborate with the federal government and Air Peace in ensuring seamless transportation of the stranded Nigerians and more importantly provide logistics and succor to the evacuees, to make them settle more comfortably when they return to Nigeria.”

Youssoufou noted that the foundation is aware of the challenges faced by the Nigeiran government and Air Peace in carrying out their mission to bring stranded Nigerians back home from Sudan.

She also added that the foundation has taken action by reaching out to relevant government agencies involved in humanitarian disaster relief interventions, expressing their eagerness to collaborate and ensure the safe return of all stranded Nigerians.

In recent years, the Aliko Dangote Foundation has emerged as a prominent humanitarian force not only in Nigeria but across Africa.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation went above and beyond, organizing specially chartered flights to bring stranded Nigerians back from India and Dubai, providing them with COVID-19 testing and quarantine upon their return to Nigeria.

Additionally, the foundation has been actively supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the North Eastern part of Nigeria since 2011.

With a total expenditure of over n25 billion, the foundation has provided essential services such as food, shelter, and healthcare to several thousand IDPs.