Dangote Unveils ₦1tn Scholarship Scheme for 1.3m Students
By Patience Ikpeme
Aliko Dangote has launched what is being hailed as the most ambitious private-sector education intervention in Nigeria’s history—a ₦1 trillion scholarship programme aimed at lifting more than 1.3 million students into the classroom and keeping them there.
Beginning in 2026, the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) will commit ₦100 billion annually for ten years to support learners across all 774 local government areas of the country.
Speaking at the launch, the Chairman of ADF and President of Dangote Group Aliko Dangote said the initiative was designed to remove the financial barriers that force many young Nigerians out of school.
“This is not only charity. This is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future,” Dangote 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.”
The programme is structured around three scholarship categories. The Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars will support 30,000 undergraduates in public universities and polytechnics with tuition support of up to ₦600,000 per year.
The Aliko Dangote Technical Scholars will assist 5,000 trainees in technical and vocational education with essential learning tools. Under the MHF Dangote Secondary School Girls Scholarship, 10,000 girls will receive uniforms, books, and learning supplies, especially in states where the number of out-of-school girls remains high.
To guarantee transparency and fairness, the scheme will run on a fully digital selection and disbursement system. It will be implemented in collaboration with federal agencies including NELFUND, JAMB, NIMC, NUC, NBTE, WAEC and NECO. All heads of these institutions were present at the launch, reflecting the broad national ownership of the initiative.
Dangote said the Foundation’s move into large-scale education support was driven by the country’s economic realities. For years, ADF’s focus has centred on health and nutrition, but the business leader said rising financial hardship means many learners now face the real threat of dropping out. “No young person should have their future cut short because of financial hardship,” he said. “This initiative is more than financial aid—it is an investment in human capital, with ripple effects on economies, societies, and future generations. When a student gets a scholarship, entire communities stand to benefit.”
He described education as “the foundation on which every prosperous society is built,” pointing out that Nigeria cannot afford to lose its brightest minds to poverty. He argued that the biggest barrier to student success in Nigeria is no longer talent but opportunity. “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,” he said.
The initiative is backed by a Programme Steering Committee chaired by the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Dauda Bage. The committee draws its membership from former vice-chancellors, technical advisors, senior education administrators and representatives of the Dangote family. It will oversee the scheme from selection to disbursement and evaluation.
Dangote told students across the country that the programme was meant to give them the confidence to pursue their ambitions without fear of being derailed by circumstance. “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,” he said.
The business magnate also revealed that he has committed 25 percent of his wealth to sustain the programme and that progress will be formally reviewed as part of the Dangote Group’s Vision 2030 strategy. He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Education, SUBEBs and state governments for their “deliberate and steady efforts” to strengthen the education sector at a time of widespread economic pressure.
Vice President Kashim Shettima described the scheme as a turning point for Nigeria’s education sector and an example of what private enterprise can achieve when aligned with national priorities. “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. “This is nation-building in its purest form.”
Shettima said the initiative fits into the Tinubu administration’s broader reforms, including NELFUND, ongoing basic education upgrades through UBEC, expanded TETFUND interventions, and a stronger focus on technical and vocational education.
He warned that an uneducated population becomes a liability, noting that Nigeria must equip its growing youth population with skills for a competitive global economy. “The legacy of Alhaji Aliko Dangote reminds us that greatness is not measured by wealth but by the number of lives one lifts from the shadows into the light,” he said.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa described the programme as “pure human capital development” and noted that its structure ensures every local government area benefits. He said the initiative aligns with government plans to shift Nigeria from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-driven one. According to him, more than 170,000 girls are expected to return to school in the programme’s first decade.
Representing the 36 governors, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu praised the initiative and pledged full support from the states. The Steering Committee chairman, Emir Sidi Dauda Bage, described the scheme as unprecedented and commended Dangote for directing his wealth toward the advancement of ordinary Nigerians.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, said Dangote’s transformative interventions in the economy and society remain unmatched. He recalled moments when the Foundation supported his community during a devastating communal crisis, noting that Dangote’s new scholarship scheme carries the same spirit of service.
In a virtual message from the United States, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said the initiative would create an enabling environment for children to learn and for families to prosper.
With more than one million beneficiaries expected over the next decade, the ₦1 trillion scholarship programme sets a new benchmark for private-sector involvement in national development.
It reinforces ADF’s mission to expand opportunity, drive social impact and improve the wellbeing of communities across Nigeria, offering millions of young people a realistic pathway to education, dignity and a better life.
