Dangote launches N100bn scholarship fund for 1.3m Nigerians

Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, has launched a N100 billion annual education support initiative for Nigerian students.

The businessman, at the launch of the national scholarship scheme in Lagos on Thursday, said too many brilliant students in Nigeria are pushed out of school because they lacked financial support.

Dangote described education as the “strongest engine of social mobility” and the clearest path to national development.

He said the scholarship programme, funded by the Aliko Dangote Foundation, would cost over N1 trillion over the next ten years, beginning in 2026.

“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 said.

Dangote said the initiative is expected to support 45,000 new scholars each year, expanding to 155,000 beneficiaries annually by its fourth year, and maintaining that level for the rest of the decade.

He noted that by 2036, the scheme would have supported 1,325,000 students.

A major focus of the initiative is The Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars, which will support 30,000 undergraduate students annually in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at public universities and polytechnics across the country.

Each beneficiary, Dangote said, will receive tuition support aligned with the fees of their institution and programme.

“STEM drives development. If Nigeria must compete globally, our young minds must have the tools to learn, imagine and innovate,” he said.

The initiative, the entrepreneur noted, will expand higher education access and keep financially vulnerable Nigerian students in school.