Odita Sunday 
…Dangote Group allocates ₦366m in shares, foundation pledges scholarships for 4,000 girls
By Odita Sunday
Borno State has secured nine letters of commitment from private sector organisations to support investment, education and sustainable livelihoods for internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and host communities.
The commitments were secured at the two-day Borno State Durable Solutions to Internal Displacement Private Sector Roundtable held in Lagos on October 8 and 9, 2026.
The Special Adviser to the Borno State Governor on Media and Spokesperson, Dauda Iliya, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, October 11, 2026, saying the roundtable also resulted in land allocation approvals and other investment facilitation measures.
Iliya said more than 20 private sector actors from banking and finance, telecommunications, trade and commerce, impact investment, infrastructure, housing and philanthropy participated in the meeting.
Representatives of United Nations agencies, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), also attended the event alongside media representatives.
According to the statement, six private sector companies signed letters of commitment on the first day, while three additional organisations signed on the second day, bringing the total to nine.
Other participating organisations collected commitment forms for further internal consultations ahead of signing.
Among the major outcomes, Iliya said, the Dangote Group allocated shares worth ₦366 million for internally displaced persons and returnees, while the Dangote Foundation pledged scholarships for 4,000 girls over the next six years.
He added that two investors applied for and received land allocation approvals on the first day, while telecommunications firm Airtel secured right-of-way approval to erect towers aimed at expanding connectivity across the state.
The commitments are expected to strengthen private sector participation in Borno’s recovery efforts through investments that promote economic inclusion, improve access to services and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for communities affected by displacement.
### Borno offers incentives to investors
To translate the commitments into tangible projects, the state government plans to organise the investment pipeline by sector and align proposed projects with the relevant pillars of the Borno State 25-Year Development Plan.
Iliya said investors seeking to establish industries would be allocated land within two weeks, while residential plots would be made available within 24 hours.
He listed other investment facilitation measures to include waivers and incentives, an investor-friendly business environment, an industrial hub, an international dry port and access to international markets.
The state government, in collaboration with the German development agency GIZ and, where necessary, Dyna-vest, will establish an Investment Facilitation Support Group to follow up on commitments and pledges and support projects in the investment pipeline.
The group will also introduce quarterly progress monitoring and reporting to track implementation, identify challenges and facilitate timely interventions.
The roundtable concluded with a commitment to sustained engagement between the government and private sector stakeholders to convert investment pledges into practical opportunities for IDPs, returnees and host communities across Borno State.
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