The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has launched the Aliko Dangote Foundation Education Scholarship Initiative with a call for Nigerians to recommit to building a future where every child has the opportunity to become the best version of themselves. The launch, held on Thursday in Lagos, also featured the unveiling of a ₦100 billion annual education support programme by the President of the Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote. The programme is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s educational sector and widen access to quality learning for young people across the country.
According to the foundation, the initiative is projected to cost ₦1 trillion over the next ten years and will support students at multiple levels through different targeted schemes aimed at improving learning standards. Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice President praised Dangote’s commitment to philanthropy, noting that education requires those who understand its power to push for change.
Senator Shettima said, “Now is the time to recommit to building a future in which every Nigerian child has a fair shot at becoming the best version of themselves. Let us live our lives so that posterity will remember us not for the offices we held or the titles we bore. Posterity must remember us for the doors we opened and the lives we transformed.”
He called on the private sector and corporate organisations to see themselves as major stakeholders in sustaining Nigeria’s education system. He explained that the country must urgently confront what he described as the consequences of demographic acceleration. The Vice President added, “A youthful population is a global asset only when it is educated. Without education, it becomes a threat to itself and to the nation that houses it.”
Reflecting on Nigeria’s history, the Vice President said formal education was once viewed with suspicion and treated as something that disconnected children from their cultural heritage. He explained that the negative effects of that resistance still influence the country’s development today. He said that instead of waiting for miracles or depending on rhetoric, deliberate actions were needed to break what he called a needless cycle of failure.
Shettima stated that this was why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu introduced reforms such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, designed to promote equitable access to education. He also highlighted other steps taken by the administration. He said, “We strengthened UBEC to deepen basic education infrastructure and accountability. We expanded TETFund intervention footprint to revitalise tertiary institutions. We accelerated our Technical and Vocational Education and Training programmes to reflect the needs of a new economy. We also mainstreamed digital learning as a core national priority.”
He expressed concern about the state of education in West Africa, noting that the region now has the lowest Human Capital Index in the world. He said Nigeria must place more value on education if the country hopes to reverse the situation. “We must treat education as a survival strategy. This is why our administration treats the National Human Capital Development Programme as a national emergency. We are bringing states, development partners, the private sector and civil society together to reclaim our destiny,” he added.
Shettima described Alhaji Aliko Dangote as an extraordinary figure. He said, “In a nation that has produced giants, he remains a colossus.” He added that Dangote’s philanthropy is structural, generational and visionary. He stressed that the businessman is not only the largest private employer of labour in Nigeria, but also one of the most important private investors in rescuing the education sector.
Earlier in his remarks, Dangote said the foundation’s ₦100 billion annual education support programme would help expand access to quality learning for young Nigerians. He assured the public that the selection of beneficiaries would follow a transparent and merit-based process. Dangote also announced partnerships with NELFUND, NECO, WAEC and other government agencies to guarantee accountability. He revealed that he has dedicated 25 percent of his personal wealth to the foundation, a commitment that will continue beyond his lifetime.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the programme as one of the most comprehensive human capital development efforts in Nigeria’s history. He said it aligns with the Federal Government’s education reform agenda. According to him, 25 percent of the scholarship slots will be reserved for persons living with disabilities, a gesture he described as a humane and inclusive approach.
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, also delivered a goodwill message. She commended the foundation’s investments in education, noting that expanding opportunities, especially in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), would create new pathways for Nigerian children. She emphasised that investing in girls’ education remains one of the strongest drivers of progress for any society.
Speaking on behalf of state governors, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu praised Dangote’s dedication to the future of Nigerian youth. He noted that the Dangote Foundation has redefined philanthropy in the country. Sanwo-Olu stated that state governments would support the success of the initiative, starting with Lagos State, which has allocated 10 percent of its annual budget to education.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, also commended Dangote for his efforts and encouraged him to continue supporting causes that benefit Nigerians. In the same spirit, the Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Justice Sidi Bage (rtd), pledged the committee’s full dedication to ensuring the success of the initiative. He said the long-term impact of the foundation’s education projects would significantly strengthen Nigeria’s human capital over the next decade and beyond.
The event ended with the unveiling of the vision 2030 $100 billion logo of the Dangote Foundation, a symbol of the organisation’s long-term commitment to education and national development.
