Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday inaugurated the Aliko Dangote Foundation Education Scholarship Initiative in Lagos, describing it as a monumental boost to Nigeria’s education sector and a lifeline for West Africa’s declining human capital profile.
The launch also marked the unveiling of a ₦100 billion annual education support programme by the Aliko Dangote Foundation, part of a ten-year, ₦1 trillion commitment aimed at expanding access to quality learning and strengthening education delivery nationwide.
Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Shettima urged stakeholders across public and private sectors to recommit to creating an inclusive education system, ensuring every Nigerian child has “a fair shot at becoming the best version of themselves.” He praised Dangote’s philanthropic vision, emphasizing that education remains a transformative tool for individuals and society.
According to a statement from the Office of the Vice President, Shettima said: “Posterity must remember us not for the offices we held or the titles we bore, but for the doors we opened and the lives we transformed.” He warned that West Africa’s position as the region with the world’s lowest Human Capital Index demands urgent intervention, noting that a youthful population is an asset only when educated.
The Vice President highlighted the Tinubu administration’s reforms—including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), strengthened UBEC operations, expanded TETFund interventions, scaled-up technical and vocational education, and digital learning initiatives—as measures to close longstanding systemic gaps in education. “We must treat education as a survival strategy. This is why our administration treats the National Human Capital Development Programme as a national emergency,” he added.
Describing Aliko Dangote as a “structural, generational and visionary” philanthropist, Shettima said the industrialist has become “the most consequential private investor in rescuing our most critical sector—education.”
Dangote stated that the ₦100 billion annual scholarship programme will operate a transparent, merit-based selection system, partnering with NELFUND, NECO, WAEC, and other agencies to ensure accountability and performance. He revealed that he has committed 25 percent of his personal wealth to the foundation, creating an endowment intended to last beyond his lifetime.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, praised the initiative as one of the most comprehensive human-capital development programmes in Nigeria, noting that 25 percent of scholarships will be reserved for persons living with disabilities. United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, commended the programme, highlighting that expanded opportunities in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) would create new pathways for millions of young Nigerians, with investment in girls’ education driving societal progress.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, lauded Dangote for redefining philanthropy and pledged state-level collaboration. He confirmed that Lagos has already allocated 10 percent of its 2026 budget to education.
The event also featured goodwill messages from the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage (rtd), who chairs the foundation’s steering committee and assured Nigerians of strict oversight and long-term results.
A key highlight was the unveiling of the Vision 2030 logo, symbolizing the foundation’s decade-long, billion-dollar commitment to rebuilding Nigeria’s educational pipeline and strengthening human capital development nationwide.
The launch drew senior government officials, development partners, traditional rulers, and private-sector leaders, underscoring a watershed moment for Nigeria’s education landscape.
