Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) and the President of Dangote Group, has announced a N1 trillion scholarship programme to expand access to education and promote academic excellence across Nigeria.
Starting in 2026, the initiative will support over 1.3 million students from all 774 Local Government Areas, with N100 billion committed annually for 10 years.
Speaking at the launch of the national scholarship scheme in Lagos on Thursday, Dangote said too many brilliant young people were being forced out of classrooms because of poverty.
He described education as the “strongest engine of social mobility” and a critical foundation for national development.
The initiative, funded by the Aliko Dangote Foundation, will run for ten years beginning in 2026, costing over N1 trillion in total.
Dangote said the scheme would support 45,000 scholars each year at inception, expanding to 155,000 beneficiaries annually by its fourth year, and maintaining that level for the rest of the decade.
By 2036, he said, the programme is expected to have reached at least 1,325,000 students.
“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 added.
A major component of the fund is the Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars programme, which will provide annual scholarships for 30,000 undergraduate students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics in public universities and polytechnics.
Each beneficiary will receive tuition support aligned with the fees of their institution and course of study. Dangote said the goal is to expand access to higher education, empower innovation, and give young Nigerians the tools to compete globally.
“STEM drives development. If Nigeria must compete globally, our young minds must have the tools to learn, imagine and innovate,” he said.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who lauded Dangote for his vision in business and national development, said the new intervention demonstrates the critical role of private-sector actors in national development.
He noted that Nigeria’s demographic growth makes urgent investment in education indispensable, warning that “a population becomes a liability only when it is uneducated.”
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking on behalf of the 36 State governors, also commended the initiative and pledged the governors’ full support.
In his presentation, Tunji Alausa, Education Minister, described the initiative as “pure human capital development,” saying it aligns with the Tinubu administration’s education sector renewal plan of transforming Nigeria from resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy and is significant because every local government area will benefit.
Chairman of the Programme Steering Committee, His Highness Justice Sidi Dauda Bage, Emir of Lafia, said the scheme is unprecedented and praised Dangote’s patriotism in reinvesting his wealth to uplift other Nigerians.