COVID-19: Dangote supports PTF on returnees’ testing

The Dangote Group, through the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has offered helping hands to the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to provide testing for the returnees, to help curb the spread of the virus in the country.

The Foundation has since May this year, assisted the PTF to conduct tests for over 500 Nigerian returnees to determine their status and ensure adequate isolation of the virus positive patients where necessary across the country.

Besides, ADF has also assisted the Group subsidiaries to donate relief materials comprising food and cash to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in their host communities in the country. The gesture is in addition to the over N2 billion and other materials earlier donated by Dangote through the Private sector-led Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) to complement federal government efforts.

Zouera Youssoufou, the Chief Executive of the Foundation disclosed that since the outbreak of the pandemic, the

Foundation has on a daily basis, been distributing bread to the vulnerable ones in the society, an indication of the company’s goal to reach and sustain connection with the people.

“The decision to offer help to the PTF to help them test returning Nigerians is yet another step in the company’s corporate social responsibility programme, not only to develop the economic welfare of the group subsidiaries host communities, but also to build a meaningful relationship with the people. The Foundation had earlier donated a 500-bed space isolation center, mobile testing laboratory, 10 ambulances and 3 official vehicles as part of its corporate support to Kano State.

Youssoufou said the donation of food to host communities was synonymous with the company’s CSR activities in Nigeria.

“We realised that this is an unusual time and the pandemic has distorted the economy of everyone, so we now decided to provide the food relief materials to the Group subsidiaries’ host communities.”