The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dangote

  • MTN, Dangote, others drag Kogi, Kwara, Benue govts before tax tribunal

    The governments of Kogi, Kwara and Benue states are to appear before the Tax Appeal Tribunal sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital, to settle their disputes on tax payment.

    The three states were dragged to the tax court by MTN, Dangote, Fidelity Bank and Mrs. Goodness Echekam.

    While Kwara State Government was dragged before the tax court by Dangote Flour Mills Limited, Benue State Government was sued by MTN. Fidelity Bank plc and Obajana Agrosacks Limited also instituted separate cases against the Kogi State Government.

    Similarly, Mrs. Goodness Echekam has also filed a case against the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

    Read also: Kogi, Kwara, Benue drag MTN, Dangote, others to tax tribunal

    The Chairman of the Tax Appeal Tribunal, Hon. Richard Bala, who disclosed this at the inaugural sitting of the court yesterday in Jos, said,:“Our mission at the tribunal is to resolve tax disputes on a basis that is fair and impartial, flexible and speedy, convenient and affordable, with a view to promoting public confidence and voluntary compliance with tax laws.

    “We shall be fair and transparent but firm in our decisions.

    “While I and other commissioners will only be here during sittings, the secretariat Staff under the leadership of the Secretary will always be here to attend to your needs and enquiries.”

  • Dangote Foundation donates N1b hostel to ABU Zaria

    THE Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) is set to inaugurate a N1 billion hostel it built for the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in Kaduna State.

    The authorities of the university, reputed to be the largest tertiary institution in West Africa, described the Dangote hostel project as a “big relief”.

    It said accommodation is one of the challenges of the sprawling university.

    Its Director of Physical Planning and Municipal Services, Muhammad Aminu Sambo said: “This is a big relief because the university has limited accommodation in relation to the number of students admitted every year. This is one of our nightmares.”

    Addressing reporters, Sambo said of the over 50,000 students admitted yearly, the university could only provide accommodation for about 13,000.

    He hailed Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote, urging other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate him and intervene in the Educational sector.

    ABU’s Chief Architect Yabani Abubakar described the hostel as a monumental intervention, saying it is a set of 10 blocks with 36 rooms each.

    Abubakar, who is also the university’s Chief Physical Planning and Development Officer (CPPDO), said the newly-built Dangote Hostel had been completed and would be inaugurated during the university’s upcoming convocation.

    According to him, as part of his commitment, Dangote visited the hostel recently and directed that new state-of-the-art facilities, like solar power be installed.

    He said the Dangote hostel is located in Phase II section of the main campus and would be initially used as a wholly male hostel from next academic session.

    ADF’s  Managing Director and CEO Zouera Youssoufou said supporting education is one of the foundation’s priorities,.

    She added that the ADF was endowed with a $1.25 billion.

    The National President of Ahmadu Bello University Alumni Association, Prof. Ahmed Tijani Mora, noted that the contribution of ADF  to the educational sector and the school was unprecedented.

    He said it was for this reason the association conferred a Corporate Award on Dangote.

    ABU’s  Vice Chancellor Prof. Ibrahim Garba said the support was timely as the university had limited accommodation facility for its students.

  • Kogi, Kwara, Benue drag MTN, Dangote, others to tax tribunal

    The governments of Kogi, Kwara and Benue states have sued MTN, Dangote Flour Mills Plc and others to the tax appeal tribunal for Northcentral Zone over tax evasion.

    Also sued before the tax court sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital, include Fidelity Bank Plc and Obajana Agro Sack Limited.

    While Dangote Flour Mills  was sued by Kwara State government, MTN was sued by Benue State government. Fidelity Bank Plc and Obajana Agrosacks Limited were sued respectively by Kogi State government for defaulting in tax payments which runs to hundreds of millions of naira.

    Mrs. Goodness Echekam was also dragged before the tax court by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)

    Chairman of the tax appeal tribunal Hon. Richard Bala who disclosed this at the inaugural sitting of the court yesterday in Jos said: “The Tribunal within its jurisdiction shall assess the collection and accounting of revenue accruable to the government of the federation.” He urged parties involved to cooperate for the success of the tribunal.

    He said: “The Tribunal has commenced sitting in Jos, Plateau State and we are to oversee tax cases from five states including Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa and Jos, Plateau as host for the zone.

    “The Tax Appeal Tribunal is imbued with powers to adjudicate over disputes arising from “Companies Income Tax Act, CAP. 60 LFN 1990, Personal Income Tax Act No. 104, 1993; Petroleum Profit Tax Act CAP. 354 LFN 1990; Value Added Tax Act No.102,1993 and Capital Gains Tax Act CAP. 42 LFN 1990 as well as any other Laws that may be made from time to time by the National Assembly.”

    Speaking during the inaugural ceremony, Plateau State government represented by the Chairman of the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service Board, Mr. Arlat Dashe said the tribunal is going to relieve the Board of all the pains it has been passing through in getting her income tax from Federal Government agencies such as Customs among others.

    He maintained that the state government is going to take full advantage of the tax tribunal.

    The Tax Controller FIRS Jos, Plateau State, Mr. Joel Emmanuel said the tribunal has been long awaited to address the lingering challenges encountered in the collections of tax which is always with less cost compared to going to the normal court.

  • Dangote Foundation okays N10b for 774,000 women

    The Aliko Dangote Foundation has okayed N10billion for the empowerment of 1000 vulnerable women in the 774 local government areas of the country.

    The Foundation is a multi-purpose grant-making vehicle driving interventions in critical sectors including education, health, population and community have started a scheme targeted at vulnerable women in select states of the federation.

    Speaking on the sidelines  of the ongoing Nutritious Food Fair(NFF) organised by HarvestPlus Nigeria in Lagos, its Director, Health and Nutrition, Dr Francis Taiwo  reiterated the foundation‘s  readiness to empower thousands of women through its micro grant programme. He said it is aimed at ameliorating widespread poverty in the nation and appropriately empowering both women and youths. The micro-grants programme is one component of the economic empowerment pillar of the foundation. It provides disadvantaged and vulnerable women with a one-off, unconditional N10,000 cash transfer to boost their household income generation.

    During the fair ‘s  session, Taiwo said the  Foundation is  spending  $100 million (about N36 billion) over the next five years to tackle malnutrition in the worst-affected parts of Nigeria.

    Country Manager, Dr  Paul Ilona HarvestPlus Nigeria said his organisation is working with farmers to generate not only higher-yielding maize, cassava and potatoes  but also nutritious varieties.

    The mission of the organisation, according to him, to foster more productive, sustainable varieties contributes directly to U.N. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, “Zero Hunger. But decades-long work to develop biofortified versions is now bearing fruit in the form of nutrient-enhanced varieties of particular benefit for people who rely heavily on staple crops in their diets.

    Vitamin A (VA) deficiency, he added, is the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness and nearly one third of children under the age of five are at risk of developing VA deficiency.

    ProVA maize, Ilona noted has been shown to be effective at increasing VA status in at-risk children, reducing the likelihood that they will suffer from complications such as blindness.

  • Dangote unveils new products at exhibition, employs 500,000

    President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said the  group employs over 500,000 direct and 200,000 indirect employees, pledging to put Nigeria in the spotlight in the comity of nations. Dangote, whose cement business spans West, Central and Eastern Africa, said his company controls over 65 per cent of the cement industry in Nigeria.

    Speaking through his Sales Manager, Mr. Josiah Nweke, at the ongoing International Trade fair in Lagos, he said the group has recently introduced the block master cement that is best for block moulding and construction, beating competitors to it.

    About 20 new products of the group, including stew mix, curry and thyme were unveiled at the fair. He invited people to take up distributorship of the group’s products and grow their personal income and the economy.

    President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Babatunde Paul Ruwase, while commending the efforts of the group, said the group’s investments cut across all sectors, noting that hardly will one find a house without any of their product. He added that the group has topped it with a world class oil refinery outfit.

    The LCCI, he said, is setting a platform for cross pollination of ideas among the private sector, the government and the public. He said: “Our aim is to encourage bilateral trade relations while creating value for exhibitors. This is a wake-up call for the government not to allow the gains of the International Trade Fair to be missed.” He urged the government to improve access to finance, build infrastructure and improve manufacturing activities.

     

  • Arsenal no longer priority for Dangote

    Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has said that he would turn his attention to buying another football club if Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke refuses to sell.

    Dangote does not think this is the right time to buy the Premier League club because he wants to complete one of the world’s largest oil refineries in Lagos, Nigeria.

    Read also: Dangote to sponsor 15 expatriates professors to enhance KUST academic standard

    ”I’m very attached to Arsenal but if he won’t sell, I might have to change,” Dangote told Bloomberg TV at the New Economy Forum in Singapore.

    ”I’m very much a fan of football. I have to have a club. I don’t have to own Arsenal.”

    The 61-year-old Aliko Dangote is worth $11.2 billion, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

    Arsenal is the sixth-largest soccer club in the world, generating revenue of 488 million euros ($556 million) in the 2016-17 season, according to Deloitte LLP.

  • Dangote sustainability initiative uplifts host communities

    Dangote Cement Plc (DCP) officials from Obajana, Ibese and Gboko cement plants embarked on social investment programmes directed towards health care, education, and environmental sanitation in their host communities during the company’s sustainability week 2018 held recently.

    The Sustainability Week, which lasted for five days, was simultaneously held across Africa.

    In Lagos, where the Dangote Group is headquartered, over 500 Sustainability Champions across the business, embarked on the cleanup of Oniru block-makers village in Victoria Island; environmental sanitation of Anjorin Market, Apapa by Apapa Greenville; and the Isolo community clean-up by the Isolo Depot Team of Dangote Cement.

    Offshore business units of the company initiated various activities including a beach clean-up and tree planting in Tema by DCP Ghana; hospital sanitation and clean-up in Bounsa by DCP Congo; educational outreach programmes in Douala by DCP Cameroon; and Dangote Cement Ethiopia Plc constructed additional block for Ula Gora School, Ethiopia.

    The Dangote Sustainability Vision is built on seven pillars known as “The Dangote Way.”.

    According to the DCP Group Managing Director, Engr. Joe Makoju; “The vision is built on the premise that sustainability must be owned and practiced by employees at every level of the organisation, and powered by the highest levels of institutional governance.”

    For the Chief Sustainability and Governance Officer of Dangote Group, Dr. Ndidi Nnoli, Sustainability means living in harmony with host communities and natural environment, adding that, ‘We believe our people and our businesses have a lot to give as much as to learn from the rich heritage of cultures in Africa. We are committed to building sustainable local economies in the communities and markets where we operate.”

     

     

     

  • Dangote to sponsor 15 expatriates professors to enhance KUST academic standard

    The Chancellor of Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), Wudil, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has concluded plans to sponsor the recruitment of 15 expatriates Professors to enhance the academic standard in the university to enable it attain world best practices.

    According to the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Shehu Alhaji Musa who briefed reporters on Friday,  said Dangote has been supporting the growth of the institution both financially and morally.

    He said the Chancellor has been showing concern in improving the learning capacity of the KUST as he has promised to not only pay the salaries of the 15 professors for eight years, but to also carter for their welfare.

    The Vice Chancellor said plans had been concluded to build a befitting estate to accommodate the professors and ensure that all the amenities for their comfort will also be provided.

    The business mogul also in his capacity as the Chancellor of the university has finished arrangements to connect the institution with the national grid and is expected to spend over N200 million on the project.

    Similarly, the Chancellor according to the VC is building a two industrial  boreholes which would  with the capacity of serving 30,000 Students 15,000 students each for both Male and Female Students. and presently the Collage has 16 thousand Students.

    Prof. Musa  hinted that Aliko Dangote is building  two 500-capacity hostels for male and female students, a development, which he said will greatly ease the accommodation problems faced by  the University.

    He said Aliko Dangote has put a blueprint for agricultural development of the university targeting one million Farmers from across the Northern region on Sugarcane, Fish, Suya beans, and Rice farming.

  • Dangote backs AfCFTA

    The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has called for conscious efforts at deepening African regional market by African investors and governments to aid rapid growth and development of the Continent. He commended the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) arguing that it should be supported by all if the economy of the continent must grow.

    Speaking during “One to One Conversation” at the on-going 5th annual Financial Times African Summit, in London he said the key to Africa’s economic growth and strength is in the development of the regional market, saying “Regional markets in Africa must work.”

    Dangote said Africans must patronise African markets which is why the free trade agreements by African nations is the direction to go to strengthen African markets.

    He said: “We need to trade with ourselves as a continent because we have all it takes  as we are home to abundant raw material and human resources. This is why the free trade agreement between neigbouring countries is a welcome development”.

  • Dangote Champions, others showcase sustainability strategies across Africa

    Volunteers and other stakeholders within the Dangote conglomerate global otherwise called Dangote Champions operationalized the company’s sustainability policy framework when they embarked on various activities aimed at impacting the environment positively across Nigeria and in some African countries.

    This, the Champions explained is to promote sustainable development in ‘The Dangote Way’ under the seven sustainability pillars adopted and practicalized by the organization.

    The activities, which coincided with the United Nations 73rd General Assembly at the New York Headquarters were carried out with a ‘Call to Action’, included environmental cleanups, tree planting, road rehabilitation, health outreach and sensitisation.

    Others involved awareness creation on safety and clean environment, hospital sanitation and clean-up, educational outreach and donation of materials, and organisation of symposia; all of which were undertaken by volunteer Dangote staff members and other external partners and stakeholders.

    The sustainability exercises, which spanned four days (September 24 to 27) included cleanup of Oniru Block-Makers Village in Victoria Island, Lagos by volunteers from the Group’s Headquarters; Ajibese community undertaken by Dangote Cement PLC at Ibese; cleanup of Anjorin Market in Apapa by Apapa Greenville; and Isolo community clean-up by DCP Cement Depot, Isolo.

    There was also beach cleanup and tree planting in Tema by DCP Ghana; hospital sanitation and cleanup in Bounsa by DCP Congo; educational outreach in Douala by DCP Cameroon; and road rehabilitation and symposium by DCP Gboko in Benue State of Nigeria.

    The Oniru activities, which were carried out alongside programme partners like VisionScape, Growing Businesses Foundation (GBF), and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), showcased the seven sustainability pillars of the Dangote Group, including environmental, economic, social, financial, operational, financial, cultural, and institutional pillars.

    The Oniru block-makers village cleanup, witnessed by the Dangote Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Mr. Usen Udoh; Mr. Mohammed Sani-Dangote; Chief Operating Officer of VisionScape, Mr. Thomas Forgacs; Head, SME of LSETF, Mr. Charles Anyanwu; and Programme Director of GBF, Mr. Seyi Dare, involved dozens of volunteers from Dangote Head Office. Aside the cleanup of the block market, a female beneficiary, Alufojie Happiness Mercy was given a loan by GBF to help improve the block and cement seller’s livelihood and financial sustainability.

    Speaking at the Oniru cleanup, Mr. Udoh commended the staff volunteers and noted that the Dangote Group was setting a standard in environmental sustainability, which other companies will soon emulate.

    Also, the Group Chief Sustainability & Governance Officer, Dr. Ndidi Nnoli noted that, “We have certainly made some inroads on engagement from stakeholders. We believe that having our people engaged and rewarded for innovation and commitment in their chosen fields (e.g. during Sustainability Week) will also translate to commitment and engagement at the workplace, with a greater sense of belonging and increased productivity. We have this week, through volunteer hours, transformed hospitals, roads, beaches, schools, markets, classrooms, communities… but above all we have touched lives!”