Dangote launches ₦1trn scholarship scheme to support 1.3m students nationwide

Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has unveiled a landmark ₦1 trillion scholarship programme aimed at expanding access to education and boosting academic excellence across Nigeria.

The initiative, which will commence in 2026, is designed to benefit more than 1.3 million students drawn from all 774 local government areas of the country, with a funding commitment of ₦100 billion annually over a 10-year period. The Federal Government has described the programme as bold, transformative and the largest private-sector education intervention in Nigeria’s history.

Under the scheme, priority will be given to vulnerable learners, with support structured across three key categories. The Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars programme will provide tuition support of up to ₦600,000 per year to 30,000 undergraduates in public universities and polytechnics studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Aliko Dangote Technical Scholars initiative will support 5,000 trainees in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions with learning materials and essential tools, while the MHF Dangote Secondary School Girls Scholars programme will cater for 10,000 girls in public secondary schools with uniforms, books and learning supplies, focusing on states with high out-of-school rates.

Implementation will be carried out in partnership with national institutions including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO). Selection and disbursement will be merit-based and fully digital, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Dangote described the programme as a strategic investment in human capital rather than an act of charity, stressing that financial hardship, not lack of talent, is the major reason many Nigerian students drop out of school.

“This is an investment in Nigeria’s future. Every child we keep in school strengthens our economy, reduces inequality and contributes to national development,” he said. “Our young people are not asking for handouts; they are asking for opportunities, and they deserve that chance.”

He noted that while the Aliko Dangote Foundation has historically focused on health and nutrition, the current economic realities have made education support an urgent priority. He added that the initiative is intended to complement, not replace, government efforts.

“A single organisation cannot solve Nigeria’s education challenges alone. Government, the private sector, communities and families must work together to transform education and, by extension, Nigeria’s future,” Dangote said.

A Programme Steering Committee, chaired by the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Dauda Bage, has been constituted to oversee implementation. Dangote also disclosed that the programme’s sustainability is tied to his commitment to allocate 25 per cent of his wealth to the Aliko Dangote Foundation, with progress to be reviewed under the Dangote Group’s Vision 2030 strategy.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event, praised Dangote’s intervention as a defining example of private-sector contribution to nation-building. He said the initiative aligns with the administration’s education reforms and efforts to improve Nigeria’s human capital development.

“What we are witnessing is the single largest private-sector education support intervention in the history of this country,” Shettima said. “This is nation-building in its purest form.”

Education Minister Tunji Alausa described the scheme as pure human capital development, noting that it aligns with the government’s plan to transition Nigeria into a knowledge-based economy. Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking on behalf of state governors, pledged full support for the programme.

Traditional rulers and development partners, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, also commended the initiative, describing it as transformational and critical to securing Nigeria’s future.

The scholarship scheme is expected to significantly widen access to education, improve retention and completion rates, and strengthen Nigeria’s long-term socio-economic prospects.