Africa’s richest industrialist, Aliko Dangote, has unveiled a N100 billion annual education support initiative aimed at reducing the financial barriers that keep millions of young Nigerians.
The scheme, launched at the launch of the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s 100 Billion annual education scholarship initiative on Thursday in Lagos, is projected to exceed N1 trillion within ten years.
According to Dangote, the initiative will support 45,000 new beneficiaries in its first year, beginning in 2026. The number is expected to rise to 155,000 by the fourth year and remain stable for a decade, targeting a total of 1.3 million students across all 774 local government areas.
The intervention comprises four programmes, each designed to address sectors where educational exclusion is most severe. Through the Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars, 30,000 undergraduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics will receive tuition support aligned with institutional fees in public universities and polytechnics.
In addition, 5,000 students in public technical and vocational institutions will benefit annually through the Aliko Dangote Technical Scholars, complementing the Federal Government’s free-tuition policy for TVET students.
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The MHF Dangote Secondary School Girls Scholars will provide annual support for 20,000 girls from JSS1 to SSS3, with continued financial assistance into tertiary education, while prioritising states with the highest number of out-of-school girls.
The Foundation will also roll out a large-scale teacher development programme, beginning with 10,000 STEM teachers in 39 government colleges attended by MHF scholars and later expanding nationwide.
Dangote said the initiative is focused on Nigeria’s most vulnerable learners, stressing that financial hardship, not lack of ability, remains the biggest threat to retention and completion.
“This is not only charity. This is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future,” he said, adding that every child kept in school strengthens the economy and reduces inequality.
He noted that the Foundation’s work over the years has been driven by the belief that no nation can rise above the quality of education it offers its young people. The programme will rely on a merit-based digital system for verification and disbursement, deployed in partnership with stakeholders.
Source: Channels TV
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