The programme, designed to reach 1.3million students nationwide, is backed by Dangote’s commitment to allocate 25 per cent of his personal wealth to the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
Nigerian industrialist, Aliko Dangote, has unveiled a N100billion annual education support initiative expected to exceed N1trillion over 10 years, positioning it as the largest private education intervention in the country.
The programme, designed to reach 1.3million students nationwide, is backed by Dangote’s commitment to allocate 25 per cent of his personal wealth to the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
The Presidency has hailed the unveiling of what officials described as “the largest private education support programme in Nigeria”, noting its alignment with the Nigerian government’s human capital development agenda.
Speaking at the launch in Lagos, Dangote said the initiative would support 45,000 new students annually from 2026, rising to 155,000 by the fourth year and sustaining that level for a decade. In total, it will reach students across all 774 local government areas.
The scheme comprises four programmes targeting sectors where educational exclusion is most severe.
Through the Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars, “30,000 undergraduate students” in STEM fields would have their tuition aligned to actual institutional fees in public universities and polytechnics.
Another “5,000 students” in technical and vocational institutions would receive tools, materials and training support through the Aliko Dangote Technical Scholars.
Additionally, the MHF Dangote Secondary School Girls Scholars — named after Dangote’s daughters Mariya, Halima and Fatima — will support “20,000 public-school girls annually from JSS1 to SSS3”, with the Foundation prioritising states with the highest numbers of out-of-school girls.
A large-scale teacher development scheme, the Dangote Teacher Training Programme, would also begin with “10,000 secondary-school STEM teachers” across government colleges attended by MHF scholars, eventually expanding to all geopolitical zones.
Dangote said financial difficulty, not lack of talent, remains the biggest factor driving students out of school.
“This is not only charity. This is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future,” he said.
“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 added, “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.”
Referencing his Foundation’s long-standing investments in health, nutrition, economic empowerment and humanitarian aid, he emphasised that “no nation can rise above the quality of education it offers its young people.”
Education, he said, is “the foundation on which every prosperous society is built.”
Warning that many students remain at risk of dropping out due to financial pressures, he said: “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 stressed that the initiative is only a starting point. “A single organisation 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.”
Addressing young Nigerians directly, he declared: “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.”
The programme would operate through a merit-based digital system for verification, disbursement and monitoring, in partnership with NELFUND, JAMB, NIMC, NUC, NBTE, WAEC and NECO. The Foundation will track outcomes including retention, completion and post-school impact.
A Programme Steering Committee chaired by His Highness Justice Sidi Dauda Bage, Emir of Lafia, has been constituted to oversee implementation.
Other members include former vice-chancellors, education administrators, technical advisors and representatives of the Dangote family.
Dangote also disclosed that long-term sustainability would be driven by his formal commitment to allocate “25 per cent of his wealth” to the Foundation, with a comprehensive review scheduled for 2030 under the Dangote Group’s Vision 2030 strategy.
The initiative builds on existing Foundation investments, including university hostels, the Mu Shuka Iri early-learning programme in Kano, the Aliko Dangote School for Orphan Girls in Maiduguri with an annual N500million commitment, and a N15billion pledge over three years to upgrade the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil.
Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said the intervention illustrates the power of private-sector leadership in nation-building, warning that “a population becomes a liability only when it is 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,” he said.
“What he has done here today is a lesson to each of us. This is nation-building in its purest form.”
Shettima highlighted President Tinubu’s reforms including NELFUND, strengthened basic education infrastructure through UBEC, expanded TETFUND support and accelerated TVET programmes — all aimed at improving Nigeria’s Human Capital Index and preparing youths for a skills-driven economy. Dangote’s philanthropy, he said, is “structural and long term” and aligns with the government’s goals.
Education Minister, Tunji Alausa, described the programme as “pure human capital development,” noting that every local government area will benefit.
The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking for all 36 governors, pledged their support.
The Chairman of the Steering Committee, Justice Sidi Dauda Bage, called the scheme unprecedented and commended Dangote’s patriotism, while the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, praised his unmatched role in private-sector transformation and described the initiative as both transformational and strategic for Nigeria’s future.