Dangote’s scholarship initiative will widen access to education financing – NELFUND

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The Nigerian Education Loan Fund on Saturday said the N100bn annual education scholarship initiative by the Aliko Dangote Foundation would widen access to education financing in Nigeria.

The fund, in a statement by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, described the initiative, unveiled in Lagos in the presence of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu, as a bold demonstration of private-sector partnership in line with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and his commitment to expanding access to quality education for every Nigerian child.

“On behalf of NELFUND, we applaud President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for championing collaborative solutions that strengthen our education system.

“The Dangote Foundation’s N100bn annual scholarship scheme directly complements the President’s agenda to remove financial barriers for students and empower the next generation of Nigerian talent,” the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, said in the statement.

He noted that the foundation’s decade-long commitment, targeting public secondary schools, public tertiary institutions and a significant STEM-focused scholarship track, would greatly enhance national efforts to widen access to education financing.

Sawyerr further emphasised NELFUND’s readiness to collaborate with the Dangote Foundation and government partners to ensure efficiency, transparency and broad impact.

“NELFUND stands ready to engage, support and work collaboratively to maximise the reach and effectiveness of this programme.

“We are committed to ensuring that no Nigerian is denied educational opportunity due to financial constraints,” he added.

NELFUND reaffirmed that partnerships between the government, private sector and development stakeholders are essential for building a resilient and inclusive education ecosystem that reflects President Tinubu’s renewed call for shared responsibility in national development.

On Thursday, December 11, 2025, the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, unveiled a N100bn annual scholarship scheme under the Aliko Dangote Foundation, aimed at keeping financially vulnerable Nigerian students in school and boosting human capital development.

The 10-year programme, which will commence in 2026, is expected to start with 45,000 scholars and expand to 155,000 beneficiaries annually by the fourth year, ultimately reaching about 1.3 million students across the 774 local government areas.

A core component of the scheme is the Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars initiative, which will provide tuition support for 30,000 undergraduate students each year in public universities and polytechnics, with the broader goal of expanding access to higher education and fostering innovation.

Deborah, has three years of experience covering the education sector, trade unions, politics and international affairs, and is a journalist with The PUNCH

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