Bill Gates gives Borno State $1m to help cater for victims of Boko Haram insurgency

BILLIONAIRE businessman Bill Gates has donated $1m to the Borno State government to provide food and help cater for the victims of the Boko Haram insurgency that has ravaged the state over recent years.

 

Borno State has borne the brunt of the Boko Haram insurgency and is now a huge refugee camp with millions of people living as internally displaced persons. With the state government and international agencies struggling to cope with the crisis, Mr Gates has come to their aid with his donation.

 

Governor Kashim Shettima revealed news of the donation yesterday in Mainok, in Kaga Local Government Area, while distributing food items and farm inputs purchased by the government. He said that about 40,000 households were targeted to benefit from the distribution.

 

According to Governor Shettima, each of the households would receive a 25kg bag of rice and a 10kg bag of beans. He added that part of the money donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was also used to acquire 100 hectares farm for beans cultivation.

 

Furthermore, Governor Shettima explained that 200 farm-families will be allocated tilled and fertile land, measuring half hectare each along with improved seeds, fertilizer, chemicals and technical supervision to grow food crops. He also announced the release of two trucks of maize grains to add to the food procured with Gates’ donation.

 

“We are grateful to God for creating people like Mr Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda. These leading lights of philanthropy across the world have shown love to the good people of Borno at a time we are on the ground and looking for any hand to hold in trying to lift ourselves up.

 

“Now, with the emerging peace in Borno, it is only necessary that, as post insurgency response, we focus on supporting all categories of victims. From those in internally displaced persons camps, those in communities within Maiduguri, those in our satellite camps outside Maiduguri, to those in communities across different local government areas, Governor Shettima added.

 

In addition, the governor emphasised the need to focus on all those who were returning to their homes and those being resettled. At the moment, about half of the population of Borno State is thought to be living in the capital Maiduguri.