The Aliko Dangote Foundation, chaired by Africa’s richest man, has committed ₦1 trillion ($688 million) to strengthening Nigeria’s education sector over the next decade, in what is set to become one of the largest private philanthropic investments in the country’s schooling system.
The foundation will begin the initiative next year by supporting 45,000 students, with plans to scale up to 1.33 million beneficiaries over ten years.
The program will prioritise students in STEM fields, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, alongside girls’ education and nationwide teacher training.
Earlier this year, Dangote was named among TIME’s Top 100 Philanthropists, alongside fellow African business leaders Patrice Motsepe, Strive Masiyiwa and Mo Ibrahim.
The Aliko Dangote Foundation, which he endowed with $1.25 billion in 2014, is designed to give back to the continent that enabled his rise. The foundation invests an average of $35 million annually in programmes across Africa.
Addressing Nigeria’s education crisis
Dangote said the long-term investment is aimed at addressing deep-rooted inequalities in Nigeria’s education landscape, where, according to UNICEF, one in every five out-of-school children globally lives in Nigeria, and more than half of the population of 230 million faces poverty.
“We cannot allow financial hardship to silence the dreams of our young people,” he said in a statement.
The initiative will target students most vulnerable to dropping out and those whose potential can drive community transformation.
“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. Every student we support reduces inequality.”
Philanthropy is becoming an increasingly powerful force in Africa, with African billionaires taking the lead in addressing critical developmental challenges.
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