- Dangote, CBN lead pack with N2bn each
BY COBHAM NSA, ABUJA – Nigeria Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID-19) Special Relief Fund is growing in leaps and bounds with the figure now reading over N19.488 billion as at Friday, April 3, 2020.
Leading the pack of high profiled contributors to the Fund are Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote of Dangote Industries that set the pace with N2 billion each.
However, according to an update on the donors’ list released by the group, a total of N3.4billion is still outstanding as yet to be redeemed pledges by four contributors that include three organisations and one individual
The quartet, whose messages the CACOVID-19 group is eagerly expecting, are billionaire Globacom owner, Mike Adenuga – N1 billion; Telecoms giants, MTN Nigeria Plc – N1 billion; Lafarge Plc – N1 billion; and John Coumantatous, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc – N400 million
The donors’ list indicated that in the One billion Naira ranking are: Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu of Bua Sugar Refinery; Segun Agbaje of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB); Herbert Wigwe of Access Bank; Femi Otedola of Amperim Power Distribution limited; and Raj Gupta of African Steel Mills Nigeria Ltd.
Other billionaire donors include Tony Elumelu of United Bank for Africa (UBA); Oba Otudeko of First Bank; Jim Ovia of Zenith Bank; and Modupe and Folorunso Alakija of Famfa Oil.
The list of donors to the (CACOVID-19) Relief Fund currently has 51 names of individuals, groups and organizations on it. The breakdown indicated that while 47 contributors have fully made good their promises, positive words were still being expected from the remaining four as the group crawls towards meeting its expected target of N120 billion from the banks. private sector contributors and well-meaning Nigerians in support of Federal Government’s efforts at tackling the global health and economic crisis.
Aside from Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc that parted with N600 million, on the list of contributors that doled out N500 million each are Pacific Holding Limited; Wacot Rice Limited; Tolaram Africa Enterprise Limited; and Bank of Industry (BoI).
On their part, Union Bank Plc; Sterling Bank Plc; First City Monument Bank; Fidelity Bank; Standard Chartered Bank Limited; Stanbic IBTC Bank; Citibank Nigeria Limited; Ecobank Plc; and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), all donated N250 million each.
A statement by CBN Director of Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, on behalf of (CACOVID-19) explained that releasing the donors’ list is in line with pledge to keep the public updated on the Relief Fund contributions which has the theme message, “Remember: Together we can. Together we will”
In the heat of the COVID-19 crisis, Nigeria Private Sector Coalition promised to mobilise resources and assist government in equipping medical facilities across the country’s six geopolitical zones to effectively tackle the pandemic and its attendant adverse impact on the people and Nigeria’s economy.
