Chief Executive of the Dangote Foundation, Ms Halima Dangote, has revealed that the ongoing construction of a multibillion naira state-of- the-art Operating Theatre and Diagnostic Centre at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital is due for completion next year.
Ms Dangote made this revelation when her team visited the Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, at the weekend.
She said the Operating Theatre and Diagnostic Centre will cost the Foundation a total of N7billion.
She attributed the earlier delay to technical hitches and said the new contractors, Dantata and Sawoe, have returned to site.
She also said that the Routine Immunisation programme of the Foundation is being extended to Bauchi, Yobe, Maiduguri and Katsina, adding that the Foundation’s Business School’s Project at the Bayero University Kano had gulped N524million, even as it injected N500million into Kano School of Technology.
Ms Dangote also revealed that the Foundation was determined to build a 500MW of electricity station in Kano.
She described some of the projects as “game changing projects” to be completed in the next two years.
Responding, the state Governor, Ganduje, said the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had done a lot for the Kano people, and the people of Kano will remain grateful forever.
He singled the contribution of the Foundation to the fight against polio, adding that it was indeed a massive intervention.
He said with the help of the Dangote Foundation, the state was soon going to be given its Polio Free Certificate.
“We are ready to do anything to support your effort,” the governor said.
He further described the Dangote intervention at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital as massive, saying the hospital is one of the oldest in West Africa.
The Foundation has also completed the construction of seven out of the eleven Primary Health Care Centres it is building in the State.
At a handover ceremony of one of the health care centres at Gwale Local Government Area, Ms Dangote, said the construction of eleven health centres in the state will cost the Foundation N72million.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, she said her father, Aliko Dangote, would prefer that most of his interventions are not mentioned in public for Allah’s sake.
She however said the Foundation that she heads will continue to assist the poor and support government’s efforts around the world.
Also Speaking, Executive Director, Stakeholders Relations and Corporate Communications, Mr. Mansur Ahmed, said the new health care centre will help the people in the community overcome most of their health challenges.
He urged the people of Kano to always pray for Alhaji Aliko Dangote and support the Dangote Group.
The State’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Abba Kailani, expressed the government’s appreciation and promised to support the health care centres through staffing and capacity building.
Secretary to the chairman of Gwale Local Government Area, Shehu Haza, who represented the chairman of the Council, while commending the Foundation, said government will ensure that the health care centres are functional.
