Nigerian industrialist, Aliko Dangote has unveiled a landmark N1 trillion education initiative aimed at supporting 1.3 million students across the country over the next decade.
The announcement was made on Thursday, during a high-profile launch event in Lagos, where Dangote pledged 25 percent of his personal wealth to fund the programme through the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
The initiative, described as the largest private education support programme in Nigeria’s history, is designed to remove financial barriers that prevent millions of young Nigerians from accessing quality education. The scheme will provide annual support of N100 billion, benefiting students across all 774 local government areas.
Speaking at the launch, Dangote said the programme is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future. “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,” he said.
The initiative comprises four major programmes:
Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars: Funding for 30,000 undergraduate students annually in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at public universities and polytechnics. Tuition will align with actual institutional fees.
Aliko Dangote Technical Scholars: Support for 5,000 students each year in public technical and vocational institutions, covering tools, materials, and essential training needs.
MHF Dangote Secondary School Girls Scholars: Named after Dangote’s daughters, Mariya, Halima, and Fatima, this programme will provide annual support for 20,000 girls in public schools, from JSS1 through SSS3, with continued backing into tertiary education. Priority will be given to states with the highest numbers of out-of-school girls.
Dangote Teacher Training Programme: A large-scale teacher development initiative, beginning with 10,000 secondary-school STEM teachers in 39 government colleges attended by MHF scholars, with plans to expand nationwide.
Dangote emphasized that financial hardship, not lack of talent, is the primary reason many students drop out. “Our young people are asking for opportunities, a chance to learn, to grow, to compete and to succeed. And we believe they deserve that chance,” he said.
The initiative received wide commendation from the federal government and state leaders. Vice President Kashim Shettima described the programme as “the single largest private-sector education support intervention in the history of this country,” noting that “a population becomes a liability only when it is uneducated.”
Education Minister Tunji Alausa highlighted the programme’s alignment with the administration’s plan to transform Nigeria into a knowledge-based economy, while Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking for all 36 governors, pledged full support for the initiative.
His Highness Justice Sidi Dauda Bage, Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the Programme Steering Committee, praised Dangote’s patriotism and strategic foresight, calling the programme “phenomenal” and “unprecedented in its scale and impact.”
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, described the initiative as transformational, emphasizing its potential to drive private-sector-led national development.
In a virtual address from the United States, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed lauded the scholarship scheme, noting it would create an enabling environment for children to learn and families to prosper.
The programme will operate through a fully digital merit-based system for verification, disbursement, and monitoring, in partnership with agencies including NELFUND, JAMB, NIMC, NUC, NBTE, WAEC, and NECO.
A Programme Steering Committee, comprising former vice-chancellors, senior education administrators, technical advisors, and Dangote family representatives, will oversee implementation.
Dangote stressed that the scheme is intended as a starting point for wider educational reform, underscoring the role of collaboration between government, private sector, communities, and families to transform Nigeria’s educational landscape.
This initiative builds on the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s decades-long investment in education, health, nutrition, economic empowerment, and humanitarian support.
Previous education-focused projects include university hostels across multiple states, the Mu Shuka Iri early-learning programme in Kano, the Aliko Dangote School for Orphan Girls in Maiduguri, and significant funding for Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil.
Dangote’s new education fund is projected to reach its peak support in the fourth year, providing sustained assistance for over a million students, a move expected to have transformative effects on Nigeria’s human capital development, social equality, and economic prosperity.