The Dangote Group has announced an intervention for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and returnees in Borno State, allocating shares worth N366 million, alongside a scholarship pledge for 6,000 girls.
The announcement was made at the conclusion of the two-day Borno State Durable Solutions to Internal Displacement Private Sector Roundtable, in Lagos over the weekend.
Dauda Iliya, the Special Adviser on Media to the Borno State Governor, disclosed the outcome of the discussions in Maiduguri.
He said the high-level roundtable brought together over 20 private sector leaders from the banking, telecommunications, trade, impact investment, infrastructure and housing sectors.
Representatives from key United Nations agencies, including the UNHCR, IOM, and UNDP, also participated in the event alongside the media.
As a testament to the success of the Lagos roundtable, nine organisations signed formal letters of commitment to invest in Borno’s recovery agenda across the two-day event, with several other participating entities collecting commitment forms pending final internal consultations.
Among the standout pledges, the Dangote Foundation committed to sponsoring scholarships for 4,000 girls over the next six years, bolstering educational access in a state heavily impacted by years of insurgency.
In addition to financial and philanthropic commitments, tangible steps were taken to fast-track physical investments. Two investors successfully applied for and received land allocation approvals on the first day of the summit.
Furthermore, telecommunications giant Airtel secured critical right-of-way approval to erect telecom towers, a move aimed at expanding vital digital connectivity across the state.
The Borno State Government used the platform to roll out an aggressive ease-of-doing-business incentive package. Investors looking to establish industries have been promised land allocations within two weeks and residential plots within 24 hours.
The state also offered tax waivers, an investor-friendly environment, access to an industrial hub, an international dry port, and gateways to international markets.
To ensure these pledges do not remain on paper, the Borno State Government, in collaboration with GIZ and Dyna-vest, is set to establish an Investment Facilitation Support Group. The body will track project pipelines, conduct quarterly progress monitoring, and swiftly address any bottlenecks.
