Dangote Foundation Carves Out Special Identity for Differentiation

Raheem Akingbolu
Largest private foundation in sub-Saharan Africa, Aliko Dangote Foundation with $1.25 billion endowment fund has created a separate identity for itself to differentiate from business side of Dangote group.

The foundation, which has four strategic areas of focus – Health, Education, Economic empowerment and Disaster Relief was after the endowment in 2014 by its owner still seen as CSR arm of Aliko Dangote conglomerate.

The new brand recognition, according to its CEO, Zovera Youssoufou, makes the foundation stand alone.
She said the new brand recognition is important as the foundation is going from what was essentially a small to medium size organisation that was closely tied to the business side of Aliko Dangote to now a global focus but more of Afro-centric personalised institution. “It is also important to get away from the perception that the foundation is the Group’s CSR organ.”

The new logo which played with expressive colours of orange, red, blue and green has all the sides in triangles which mean moving forward. It also tried to depict the picture of Africa as its central focus.

Zovera explained that “in 2014 was when the actual change of the foundation happened when Dangote made endowment of N200 billion at that time to the foundation. We went from being an organisation that is sometimes funded by Cement or Sugar companies of Dangote Group; sometimes we do CSR projects for the group to a full foundation
“With that endowment it really becomes his foundation and no longer money from Cement, sometimes donations from Sugar but his money he put into the course because he wants us to do charitable intervention. That endowment turned the foundation into the largest private foundation in sub-Saharan Africa.”

For its empowerment programme, Zovera said the foundation has set aside N10 billion at N10,000 each for 1,000 women in each of the 774 local government areas. “Approximately we provided for one million Nigerian women and each is getting a grant of 10,000 Naira.”

She said the role of the states and local governments is to help identify the indigent women that need such grants. “It is only when the states are ready that is when we come in as we don’t influence who gets the grants”, she said.

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