Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group and Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), has announced a landmark ₦1 trillion scholarship programme aimed at widening access to education and supporting academic excellence across Nigeria.
The initiative, scheduled to begin in 2026, will benefit more than 1.3 million students drawn from all 774 local government areas. Under the plan, ₦100 billion will be committed annually over a 10-year period, making it the largest private-sector education intervention in Nigeria’s history.
The scholarship programme is designed to support some of the country’s most vulnerable learners and is structured around three key categories. Under the Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars, 30,000 undergraduates in public universities and polytechnics will receive tuition support of up to ₦600,000 per year. The Aliko Dangote Technical Scholars category will provide 5,000 trainees in technical and vocational education (TVET) with essential learning materials and technical tools. In addition, the MHF Dangote Secondary School Girls Scholars scheme will support 10,000 girls in public secondary schools with uniforms, books, and learning supplies, with special focus on states with high out-of-school rates.
Implementation will be carried out in collaboration with key national institutions including NELFUND, JAMB, NIMC, NUC, NBTE, WAEC, and NECO. According to Dangote, the programme will operate through a merit-based and fully digital system to ensure transparency in selection, verification, and disbursement.
Speaking at the launch, Dangote described the initiative as a long-term investment in Nigeria’s human capital, stressing that financial hardship, rather than lack of talent, remains the biggest barrier keeping many young people out of school.
“This is not only charity. This is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future. Every child we keep in school strengthens our economy. Every student we support reduces inequality. Every scholar we empower becomes a future contributor to national development,” he said. “Our young people are not asking for handouts. They are asking for opportunities. They are asking for a chance to learn, to grow, to compete and to succeed. And we believe they deserve that chance.”
Dangote explained that although the Foundation has traditionally focused on health and nutrition, the current economic realities have made educational support an urgent priority. He noted that no young person should have their future cut short because of financial difficulty, adding that the ripple effects of education extend beyond individuals to families, communities, and the wider economy.
Describing education as “the foundation on which every prosperous society is built,” Dangote warned that many talented Nigerian students continue to face financial pressures that threaten to derail their dreams. According to him, the new Education Support Initiative is intended to be a starting point, not a standalone solution.
“A single organization cannot solve Nigeria’s education challenges alone,” he said. “Government has a role. The private sector has a role. Communities and families have a role. When we work together, we can transform education — and with it, transform Nigeria’s future.”
Addressing young Nigerians directly, he added: “your dreams matter. Your education matters. Your future matters. We believe in you. We are investing in you. And we are committed to ensuring that you do not walk this journey alone.”
To oversee the programme, a Programme Steering Committee has been set up and will be chaired by the Emir of Lafia, His Highness Justice Sidi Dauda Bage. The committee includes former vice-chancellors, senior education administrators, technical experts, and representatives of the Dangote family. Dangote also disclosed that the long-term sustainability of the programme is tied to his formal commitment to allocate 25 per cent of his wealth to the Aliko Dangote Foundation, with progress reviews planned under the Dangote Group’s Vision 2030 strategy.
The initiative has received widespread commendation from government officials and traditional leaders. Vice President Kashim Shettima described the scholarship scheme as the single largest private-sector education support intervention in Nigeria’s history, noting that population growth only becomes a liability when citizens are uneducated.
“Alhaji Aliko Dangote, through his far-reaching philanthropy, has set in motion the single largest private-sector education support intervention in the history of this country,” Shettima said. “What he has done here today is a lesson to each of us. This is nation-building in its purest form.”
He added that the programme aligns with ongoing reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, including NELFUND, expanded TETFUND interventions, improved basic education infrastructure, and accelerated technical and vocational training.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa also praised the initiative, describing it as “pure human capital development” and noting that every local government area will benefit. He estimated that by the end of the programme’s first decade, over 170,000 girls would have gained access to education.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking on behalf of the 36 state governors, pledged full support for the scheme, while traditional rulers including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, described the initiative as transformational and strategic for Nigeria’s future.
In her remarks from the United States, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said the scholarship programme would create an enabling environment for children to learn and for families to prosper.
Overall, the ₦1 trillion scholarship programme reinforces the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s mission to expand opportunities, reduce inequality, and improve the wellbeing of individuals and communities across Nigeria through sustainable, long-term investment in education.
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