Business
ADF Lifts Osun’s Economically Challenged With 30,000 Bags Of Rice
The train of the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s (ADF) 2025 National Food Intervention programme has gotten to Osun State.
Biztellers reports that the ADF marked the visit with the distribution of 30,000 bags of rice for the economically vulnerables in the state at the weekend.
Flagging off the distribution, Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke expressed gratitude to Africa’s foremost industrialist and philanthropist, Aliko Dangote and the ADF for the unwavering commitment to the well-being of the vulnerable as well as the fight against hunger and poverty in Nigeria and Africa.
Gov Adeleke said the distribution of 30,000 bags of 10kg size of rice to all vulnerable groups in all the local government areas of Osun State, would go a long way in alleviating the food crisis facing them due to the food inflation ravaging the country and Africa at large.
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Gov Adeleke, who was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Otunba Tola Faseru saluted Dangote and the ADF for the effort to support Osun State at this time of economic challenges impacting the vulnerable people in society.
According to him “The distribution of these bags of rice to the indigents is a significant step towards addressing food security and poverty alleviation in the state. I must commend the efforts of the foundation again in making life meaningful to this set of people who need food assistance. Together, we can build a prosperous society for all”
He said that many vulnerable groups and their members will benefit from the rice distribution, particularly people with disability (PWD), the aged, motherless babies’ homes, youth groups, farmers, artisans and many more.
The governor emphasized the need for continuous collaboration with the foundation on initiatives that bring relief to the vulnerable in the country.
He added that it is on record that his administration continues to provide relief to the people of Osun via several palliative initiatives.
On his part, a representative of the ADF, Victor Ejiro, said that Osun State is “dear to the heart of our chairman Aliko Dangote and his foundation, hence the need to prioritize the state. He added that the foundation has continuously targeted one million vulnerable Nigerians in its Annual National Food Intervention Program.
The 2025 rice distribution program, according to Ejiro, is targeted at beneficiaries in all the 774 local governments in Nigeria.
He added that this is a direct response to cushioning the effect of the harsh economic conditions among the vulnerable.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Agriculture, Olaniran Akanfe Atidade who also attended the distribution ceremony described the foundation’s gesture as a significant effort towards food security and poverty alleviation. Representatives of various beneficiary groups were presented with their allocation of bags of rice, expressing their appreciation to the ADF for the invaluable gesture and support.
Recall that Aliko Dangote Foundation had in March commenced its 2025 National Food Relief Programme, aimed at distributing over 1,000,000 10kg bags of rice across the 774 local government areas of the 36 states and FCT in Nigeria.
Chairman of the Foundation, Aliko Dangote had said that the initiative was a crucial step towards alleviating the ongoing economic challenges faced by our nation.
“The rice distribution programme will commence in Kano and Lagos States with flag-off ceremonies before expanding to all the other 36 states and the FCT over the next two weeks,” he stated.
Dangote emphasized the importance of compassion and generosity during the holy month of Ramadan, when the distribution commenced saying “the distribution of rice symbolises our commitment to upholding the values of compassion and solidarity that are at the core of our humanity.”
There are allegations that secret drilling of crude oil has begun in some Ogoni communities, even as talks between the Federal Government and representatives of the people on the planned resumption of oil exploration in the area remain inconclusive.
Though the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), in a statement released in Port Harcourt on Sunday by the Secretary-General of MOSOP, Stephen Nmane, insist that the citizens have embraced the idea of oil resumption because of the integrity of its leaders involved in the talks.
According to MOSOP reports of alleged compromise and alleged corruption are worrisome.
Also, MOSOP said it wanted the names of 40 Ogoni youths employed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) published for the sake of transparency, alleging that names of foreigners were smuggled onto the list.
Nmane specifically said oil drilling had been noticed in Ogoni communities in Tai and Eleme local government areas without the knowledge of the people, saying MOSOP condemned any forced re-entry into Ogoni, describing it as a betrayal of the spirit of the dialogue process.
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The statement was titled ‘Alarming Compromise of The Ogoni Oil Production Resumption Process: The Reported Massive Corruption of Leaders of The ODC’.
“It is appalling as it is disappointing that while dialogue between Abuja and Ogoni is ongoing, preliminary oil production is operationalised in parts of Ogoni by the Federal Government without the consent and social licence of the Ogoni community.
“In Ban-Ogoi and Alesa-Eleme areas, oil drilling with its attendant health and environmental toxicity is ongoing.
“To us, this is in bad faith as it betrayed the godly spirit of the dialogue.
“Therefore, we cannot but condemn this forced re-entry through the back door. Thus, we demand immediate halt of the operations and the needful done,” the statement read.
It added, “The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, is alarmed at a damning report circulating in Ogoni and across social media platforms, alleging massive economic corruption of some key leaders of the Ogoni oil resumption dialogue process.
“This is most concerning as it is at the expense of our people. Since the allegations impugn the credibility and trustworthiness of these facilitators, the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) and its leadership, MOSOP would urge the body to publicly clear its name of the weighty allegations.
“It equally warned of dire consequences as Ogoni will not sit idly by while accrued benefits to the community are illicitly cornered by a greedy, heartless few pretending to work for our common good.
“Notwithstanding acknowledged doubtful integrity of some of these leaders, our people had embraced the process in the hope that envisaged opportunities offered would create enduring succour.
“The feeling that the hope would not materialise owing to corruption, occasioning anger and tension, is understandable. Hence, we call on the people to remain calm and law-abiding while efforts are made to address the issues.
“Saddeningly, information available to MOSOP indicates that some bigwigs of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee had been compromised to facilitate the re-entry. In fact, Ogoni youths who had protested at the operational bases reported that engineers at these sites told them to approach an ODC chieftain instead.
“Furthermore, the report also implicated the ODC facilitators in other shoddy deals. It revealed their involvement in another multi-million-dollar oil pipeline contract to be executed across Ogoni oil fields preparatory to oil resumption proper.”
It warned the Federal Government and investors interested in investing in Ogoni to be wary of predators.
“We would further counsel against hasty agreement with anyone or group without appropriate due diligence, as such will not be binding on us.
“We wish to make it categorically clear that all entered agreements on behalf of Ogoni are shoddy, unacceptable, and null and void,” the statement added.
In a move expected to reduce distribution costs for independent petroleum marketers and create room for lower petrol prices at the pump, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals (DPRP) has expanded its free petroleum product delivery initiative to Kano, Imo, Anambra and Nasarawa States.
A company statement on Sunday in Lagos, has it that the initiative, which began with deliveries to Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Kaduna, Abuja and Delta States, is designed to bring petroleum products closer to marketers and retailers while removing the cost of transporting products over long distances from the refinery to various parts of the country. By absorbing the delivery cost, the refinery is reducing one of the key expenses built into the downstream distribution chain.
Group Executive Director, Commercial Operations, Oil & Gas, WAEP and Fertiliser, Fatima Aliko Dangote, said the initiative was designed to ensure that the benefits of domestic refining translate into tangible savings for businesses and consumers. “The value of domestic refining must ultimately be felt beyond the refinery gate. By absorbing the cost of delivering petroleum products to our customers, we are removing a significant component of the distribution burden and creating room for those savings to flow through the value chain to consumers. Our goal is to make fuel distribution more efficient, reduce avoidable costs and support more competitive pump prices across Nigeria.”
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The expansion has been welcomed by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), which said the initiative would significantly reduce some of the financial and logistical pressures confro
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