Nigerian university students are being offered an opportunity to participate in the capital market through the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s Student Share Grant Initiative, which provides eligible students with additional free shares when they subscribe to the ongoing Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, DPRP Initial Public Offering, IPO.
Under the initiative, students aged 18 and above in public and private tertiary institutions who purchase a minimum of 10 DPRP shares through the Foundation’s dedicated platform qualify to receive an additional 10 shares at no cost.
The programme is designed to expose young Nigerians to investment, ownership and wealth creation while improving financial literacy and encouraging early participation in the capital market.
The initiative has generated interest among students, with participants describing it as an opportunity to gain practical experience in investing while becoming shareholders in one of the country’s major industrial projects.
Amaechi Rosemary, a University of Ibadan student, said the initiative had made investment more accessible to young people who might otherwise consider share ownership beyond their reach.
Another University of Ibadan student, Emmanuel Ndah, said the programme provided both an investment opportunity and practical lessons in financial responsibility.
Similarly, Moshood Muheeb of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, said the initiative demonstrated confidence in the ability of young Nigerians to participate responsibly in wealth creation.
Esther Olatunji of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said the programme could encourage students to take investment and financial planning more seriously by giving them direct exposure to ownership and the capital market.
The Foundation also engaged campus journalists from tertiary institutions across Nigeria in an online session on the IPO, financial education, responsible investing and opportunities within the capital market.
Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said empowering young people should extend beyond education to creating opportunities for them to participate in economic growth and wealth creation.
“Supporting young people goes beyond access to education. It also involves providing opportunities that enable them to participate meaningfully in economic growth and wealth creation,” he said.
He added that early exposure to investment could help young people make sound financial decisions, build wealth responsibly and participate more actively in the formal economy.
The Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Zouera Youssoufou, said the initiative was intended to combine financial education with practical investment experience.
She said the programme would enable students to experience the investment process, from verification and subscription to share ownership, while promoting responsible participation in the capital market.
According to the Foundation, eligible students enrolled in recognised tertiary institutions can complete the verification process through its dedicated platform before subscribing for the minimum 10 shares required to qualify for the additional 10 shares.
The Foundation said the initiative was a stand-alone programme aimed at encouraging investment participation among Nigerian youths and developing a generation of financially informed investors.
It added that the programme formed part of its broader efforts in education, economic inclusion and youth empowerment, with emphasis on saving, investment, entrepreneurship and long-term wealth creation.