Business
TIME Magazine names Aliko Dangote among top 100 global philanthropists
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, has been named in TIME Magazine’s inaugural 2025 TIME100 Philanthropy list. The recognition honours 100 of the world’s most influential philanthropists making a difference globally—and Dangote stands out as the only Nigerian on the list.
The TIME100 Philanthropy list celebrates individuals from 28 countries, spotlighting their efforts under four distinct categories: Titans, Leaders, Trailblazers, and Innovators. Dangote was named among the 23 global Titans, joining the ranks of philanthropic giants like Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Bloomberg, and Melinda Gates.
TIME acknowledged Dangote’s remarkable business journey, noting how he built a $23.9 billion fortune through ventures in cement, agriculture, and oil refining. Yet, it is his expansive philanthropic work through the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) that drew global recognition. Since 2014, Dangote has endowed the foundation with $1.25 billion, and it currently disburses around $35 million annually toward charitable programmes across Africa.
“Investing in nutrition, health, education, and economic empowerment is our contribution to setting Africans up for success,” Dangote stated, encapsulating the foundation’s guiding philosophy.
A standout initiative by the ADF is a $100 million multi-year programme aimed at combating severe childhood malnutrition. The foundation was also instrumental in a vaccine partnership—alongside the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other stakeholders—that played a critical role in the eradication of polio from Nigeria and the African continent, a milestone confirmed by the World Health Organisation in 2020.
In education, Dangote’s impact has been transformative. Recently, he pledged $10 million to the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology in Kano. His foundation previously donated a N1.2 billion hostel to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria—the largest single donation to a Nigerian university at the time.
The foundation also drives grassroots educational development. Through the “Mu Shuka Iri” (Let’s Plant a Seed) initiative, local women in Kano, referred to as “Aunties,” are trained in Montessori teaching techniques to serve as community educators. Other educational interventions include scholarships at secondary and tertiary levels, vocational training, and fellowships via the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders programme.
As a member of the Global Business Coalition for Education, Dangote has reinforced his commitment to building Africa’s future through education and leadership development.
“My mother instilled in me the ethos of giving back, which inspired my philanthropy 30 years ago. I trust my three daughters will continue this legacy, just as they will continue to grow our business and impact. I want to be known not just as Africa’s richest person but also as its biggest philanthropist,” Dangote said.
With this global recognition by TIME Magazine, Dangote’s philanthropic efforts have been firmly cemented on the world stage as a beacon of impact-driven leadership in Africa and beyond.
