The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has officially launched a massive N100 billion Annual Education Support Initiative, marking what its Chairman, Aliko Dangote, GCON, called a “defining moment” for the organization and “a significant turning point for education in Nigeria”.
Dangote, who is also the Group President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, unveiled the initiative on Thursday. The program is projected to cost over One Trillion Naira in total over the next ten years and aims to support 1,325,000 students within that period.
The Foundation’s chairman emphasized that the investment is not just charity, but a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future. He stressed the fundamental role of education in national development: “no nation can rise above the quality of education it offers its young people”.
“We cannot allow financial hardship to silence the dreams of our young people — not when the future of our nation depends on their skills, resilience and leadership,” Dangote stated.
The initiative is set to begin in 2026, starting with 45,000 new scholars every year and reaching 155,000 beneficiaries annually by the fourth year, a level it plans to maintain for the next ten years. The Foundation’s approach is grounded in transparency, inclusiveness, and measurable impact, with student allocations planned for all 774 Local Government Areas.
The N100 billion initiative is structured around four carefully designed programs:
- The Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars: This program will support 30,000 undergraduate students annually in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields at Nigeria’s public universities and polytechnics. Each scholar will receive tuition support aligned with the actual fees of their institution and program.
- The Aliko Dangote Technical Scholars: Providing support for 5,000 young Nigerians every year enrolled in public technical and vocational institutions. The support will cover tools, materials, and essential resources needed to complete their training.
- The MHF Dangote Secondary School Girls Scholars: Named in honor of his daughters—Mariya, Halima, and Fatima—this initiative will support 20,000 public-school girls every year from JSS1 to SSS3, with continued support through tertiary education. It will prioritize states with the highest numbers of out-of-school girls, as “No country moves forward when its girls are left behind”.
- Dangote Teacher Training Program: An ambitious training program starting with 10,000 teachers in STEM-related subjects across the 39 Government Colleges that the MHF scholars will attend, with plans to grow the program across all six geopolitical zones.
To ensure transparency and national impact, the Foundation has constituted a distinguished Programme Steering Committee, which will be chaired by His Highness Justice Sidi Dauda Bage, CFR, Emir of Lafia. Key national institutions like NELFUND, JAMB, NIMC, NUC, and others will collaborate to verify applications, disburse funds digitally, and track scholars.
The sustainability of the program is anchored by Alhaji Dangote’s formal commitment to allocate 25% of his wealth to his Foundation.
Dangote concluded with an appeal for collective action: “A single organization cannot solve Nigeria’s education challenges alone”.
He further emphasised the Foundation’s vision; to give every deserving child the chance to learn – unfettered by cost, free to dream and equipped to achieve.
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