Two of the world’s leading philanthropists have met to discuss their joint efforts to improve the welfare of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group and of Dangote Foundation, was recently a guest of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington, USA. Apart from addressing staff of the foundation, Dangote also held private talks with world’s richest man Bill Gates, who co-owns the foundation with his wife Melinda.

Dangote and Gates are collaborating on a number of philanthropic projects, including polio eradication in Dangote’s country, Nigeria.

In another development involving Dangote, the National Agency for Food, Drug and Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commended the management of Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) Plc for its assistances to the agency with a pledge to further tighten the noose on manufacturers and sellers of fake and counterfeit products.

Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhi, gave the commendation to the DSR management while receiving keys of four pick-up vans donated to the organisation by the company in Lagos. He said the gesture would go a long way towards strengthening the operations of NAFDAC.

Orhi said that with such assistance coming from a private indigenous company NAFDAC could not but brace the odds to rid the nation of unscrupulous elements posing hazards to the health of thw citizenry through adultration, faking and production of substandard products.

Dr. Orhi qho gave insight into how far the agency has been able to curtail the activities of producers of fake drugs and other related foods described the vehicle donation as being timely and the agency will flush out the fake products and those behind them.

“We are not unmindful of the enormous challenges of combating fake and counterfeit products. And we know how prepared are those behind it to thwart our efforts but we are more than ready to give it all it takes,” he said, adding:

“It is our responsibility and we are ready not to relent not even with such encouragement as we are getting now. We thank you immensely and we hope other companies will emulate Dangote Sugar.”

Of note, according to the NAFDAC boss, was the intervention of Dangote in combating the Ereaded ebola virus. The Dangote Group, through its Foundation, had donated hundreds of millions of naira to assist government in the battle to curtail the spread of the killer virus.

In his remarks, Group Managing Director of DSR Plc, Engr. Sule Abdulahi, described the donation as part of the CSR activities of the company to improve the health care and wellbeing of Nigerians.

He said the vehicles were meant to ease the operations of NAFDAC and help it perform its job excellently.

Engr Sule said DSR would not have done otherwise given its position as leading operator in the sugar refinery industry in Africa.

•Photo shows Aliko Dangote addressing the staff of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation during his recent visit to Seattle, Washington, USA, while Bill Gates looks with admiration.

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