Nigerian billionaire Aliko
Dangote is on a mission to change the perception of Africa by giving financial
backing to a New York-based organisation that aims to showcase positive African
stories.
Africa’s richest man, Dangote has donated $20
million to the non-profit Africa Center in New York through his charitable foundation.
The 6,503-m2 centre on Fifth Avenue at 109th Street in East
Harlem promotes creative expression and interaction with the public to
challenge historical stereotypes of Africa.
Mainstream media have traditionally been accused
of portraying Africa with negative stereotypes, paying little attention to the many positive
developments happening on the continent.
Dangote
is determined to change the narrative and wants to see Africa portrayed in
a balanced and fair manner.
He
pledged $20 million to support the Africa Center’s work in altering the global
understanding of Africa and promoting collaboration between Africa and the rest
of the world.
The centre aims to do that through performances, installations, talks, readings, book
signings, and film screenings.
The donation is expected to help build the
last phase of the museum in New York, Wall Street Journal reports.
In recognition of his donation, the main hall of
the Africa Center is named after Dangote and will be known as “The Africa Center at
Aliko Dangote Hall”.
A Nigerian businessman, Dangote maintained his
position as the richest person in Africa in 2019 thanks to his $17 billion net worth.
In March, he was considered the 64th richest person on the planet, according to
the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Dangote’s business interests include cement, agricultural commodities, real estate, oil and gas.https://moguldom.com/231299/aliko-dangote-donates-20m-to-new-yorks-africa-center-to-change-how-africa-is-perceived/