Hardship: Follow Davido Example, Olajengbesi Tells Dangote, Otedola, Others

Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has urged billionaires in the country to come to the aid of hungry Nigerians by making donations similar to their magnanimity during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

In a statement on Wednesday, Olajengbesi, the Managing Partner of Abuja-based law firm, Law Corridor, commended afrobeats singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, over his plans to donate the sum of N300 million through his David Adeleke Foundation (DAF) to orphanages across the country.

Olajengbesi said, “Our dear country is going through one of the toughest times in history, economically, no thanks to the policies of the new government. Multinationals are exiting the country, thousands of jobs lost. There is hunger in the land. And as the saying goes, an hungry man is an angry man, hence, the protests spreading over the country as demonstrators express displeasure over the hardship in the land.

“It’s time for our billionaires and respected business moguls in the private sector to step in and provide succour for our teeming citizens, just like they graciously did during the COVID-19 pandemic. Singer Davido announced a N300m donation to orphanages on Tuesday. This is a good development that should be emulated by the privileged few. History won’t forget the benevolent. God bless Nigeria.”

Nigerians are going through untold economic hardship occasioned by the petrol subsidy removal and the escalating food inflation. Food prices and costs of basic commodities have skyrocketed, sparking protests across some cities in the country.

The hardship currently experienced in the country is akin to that suffered during the coronavirus pandemic four years ago that saw the philanthropic gestures of billionaires such as Aliko Dangote, who rose to the occasion by collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to lead the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID).

Dangote later made a personal donation of N2 billion to support the cause. Billionaires Femi Otedola, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Folorunsho Alakija, Tony Elumelu, Jim Ovia, Oba Otudeko also donated N1 billion each.