Dangote Announces ₦100bn Annual Education Fund for Nigerian Students and Teachers

Africa’s richest businessman, Aliko Dangote, has unveiled a groundbreaking ₦100 billion annual education fund aimed at supporting Nigerian students and enhancing teacher capacity across the country. The initiative, set to begin fully in 2026, is projected to exceed ₦1 trillion over the next ten years, making it one of the biggest private-sector investments in education in Nigeria’s history.

Speaking at the announcement, Dangote said the programme is designed to tackle financial barriers that keep millions of young Nigerians out of school, noting that “lack of money, not lack of talent, drives many students away from education.”

Targets Over 1.3 Million Beneficiaries

The new fund will provide direct support to about 1.3 million students nationwide, covering all 774 Local Government Areas. It will also scale progressively, starting with 45,000 students in 2026 and rising to 155,000 annual beneficiaries by the fourth year.

Four Major Scholarship and Training Streams

The intervention will operate through four structured sub-programmes:

1. Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars

Supports 30,000 undergraduate students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in public universities and polytechnics.

2. Technical Skills Support

Provides tools, equipment, and training materials for 5,000 vocational and technical students annually.

3. Secondary School Girls Scholarship (MHF Dangote Scholars)

Named after Dangote’s daughters—Mariya, Halima, and Fatima—the scheme will support 20,000 school girls from JSS1 to SSS3 every year, with special focus on states with high numbers of out-of-school girls.

4. Teacher Training Programme

A nationwide effort to upgrade teaching quality, beginning with the training of 10,000 STEM teachers and expanding across all secondary schools.

Transparent, Digital-First Implementation

To ensure credibility and nationwide access, the programme will be managed through a digital application system in partnership with key education agencies including JAMB, NELFUND, NIMC, NUC, NBTE, WAEC and NECO.

A Programme Steering Committee chaired by Justice Sidi Dauda Bage will oversee rollout and compliance.

Long-Term Philanthropic Commitment

Dangote has pledged to dedicate 25% of his personal wealth to the Aliko Dangote Foundation, ensuring long-term sustainability of the education intervention.