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Dangote announces N1trn scholarship for 1.3m students nationwide
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FG hails initiative as Nigeria’s biggest private-sector education intervention
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Scheme offers STEM, technical and girls’ scholarships from 2026
Africa’s richest man and founder of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), Aliko Dangote, on Wednesday unveiled a landmark N1 trillion scholarship programme aimed at supporting 1.3 million Nigerian students over the next decade.
The scheme, which will commence in 2026, is designed to expand access to education across all 774 Local Government Areas, with N100 billion disbursed annually for 10 years. It is Nigeria’s largest private-sector education investment to date.
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The programme is structured into three major categories:
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Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars: 30,000 undergraduates in public universities and polytechnics to receive up to N600,000 yearly.
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Aliko Dangote Technical Scholars: 5,000 trainees in technical and vocational institutions to receive tools and essential learning materials.
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MHF Dangote Girls Scholars: 10,000 secondary school girls to benefit from uniforms, books and supplies, with priority given to states with high out-of-school populations.
Implemented in partnership with NELFUND, JAMB, NIMC, NUC, NBTE, WAEC and NECO, the initiative will use a fully digital, merit-driven selection and disbursement system to ensure transparency.
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Dangote said the initiative is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future, adding that many students drop out due to financial pressure, not lack of talent.
“This is not only charity. This is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future,” he said. “Every child we keep in school strengthens our economy and reduces inequality.”
He emphasised that the scholarship programme aligns with ADF’s renewed focus on human capital development and announced that 25% of his personal wealth has been committed to sustaining the initiative under the Dangote Group’s Vision 2030 strategy.
A Programme Steering Committee chaired by the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Dauda Bage, will oversee implementation. Former vice-chancellors, senior academics and education experts are members.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented the Federal Government, described the intervention as “the single largest private-sector education support programme in Nigeria’s history.” He said Dangote’s philanthropy would significantly boost the government’s ongoing reforms in basic, tertiary, technical and vocational education.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the scholarship aligns with the government’s shift from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based one, noting that more than 170,000 girls are expected to benefit within the first decade.
Also speaking, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Emir of Lafia, the Ooni of Ife, and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed all praised the initiative as a transformative step toward expanding educational access nationwide.
Described as unprecedented in scale and ambition, the N1 trillion scholarship programme reinforces ADF’s mission to tackle inequality, improve human development and empower future generations across Nigeria.
