Dangote Unveils Landmark N100bn Yearly Education Scheme as Inuwa, VP Shettima, National Leaders Rally Behind Vision 2030

Dangote Unveils Landmark N100bn Yearly Education Scheme as Inuwa, VP Shettima, National Leaders Rally Behind Vision 2030

By Auwal Ahmad Umar

Gombe State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya,  on Thursday joined Vice President Kashim Shettima, policymakers, development finance institutions, global education advocates and captains of industry at the formal launch of the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s N100 billion annual Education Support Programme held at the Eko Hotel in Lagos.

This was contained in a press statement signed by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Director-General, Press Affairs, Gombe Government House, and made available to newsmen in Gombe on Thursday.

The new initiative, projected to inject over N1 trillion into Nigeria’s education system over the next decade, also featured the unveiling of the Dangote Vision 2030, a 100-billion-dollar development blueprint designed to accelerate Nigeria’s long-term economic and social transformation.

Speaking at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima described the education support programme as a groundbreaking intervention aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its priorities on human capital development, skills expansion and poverty reduction.

He praised Alhaji Aliko Dangote as a patriotic Nigerian whose philanthropy continues to inspire confidence in the nation’s future and urged other private-sector leaders to emulate his commitment to national development.

In his keynote address, Aliko Dangote said the scholarship programme was established to close the financial gaps that force many bright Nigerian students to abandon their education, noting that education remains the most powerful vehicle for social mobility and national advancement.

He explained that the programme will support 45,000 students in its first year, scale to 155,000 beneficiaries per year by its fourth year, and reach a cumulative 1,325,000 students by 2036.

He also highlighted the Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars, designed to support 30,000 undergraduates annually in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programmes across public universities and polytechnics.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony, Governor Inuwa Yahaya commended Alhaji Aliko Dangote for what he described as a visionary investment in Nigeria’s youth, noting that the magnitude and structure of the programme align with ongoing efforts across northern states to reduce out-of-school children, strengthen teacher capacity, improve school retention and expand access to quality education at all levels.

The event was attended by the governors of Borno, Nasarawa, Kano, Niger and Lagos States, ministers, members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers and senior policymakers.