BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima has hailed Aliko Dangote's Foundation Education Scholarship Initiative, with a call on stakeholders to assist in building a future where every Nigerian child can benefit from quality life.
At the launch of the education scheme in Lagos, Shettima praised Dangote's philanthropic stride, saying that education is a burden carried by those with the knowledge of its power to transform.
The programme, projected to cost ₦1 trillion over the next ten years, will support students across multiple levels through a range of targeted schemes.
Shettima said: "Now is the time to recommit to building a future in which every Nigerian child has a fair shot at becoming the best version of themselves. Let us live our lives so that posterity will remember us not for the offices we held or the titles we bore. Posterity must remember us for the doors we opened and the lives we transformed."
Shettima implored the private sector and corporate entities to invest in education, insisting that they must consider themselves as stakeholders in the survival of Nigeria's education system.
Noting that there was no better time than now to confront the consequences of demographic acceleration, Shettima said: "A youthful population is a global asset only when it is educated. Without education, it becomes a threat to itself and to the nation that houses it.
"We come from a difficult history. Formal education was once treated as an intrusion. It was seen as an affliction. It was seen as a scheme to estrange children from their heritage. The residue of that suspicion, the gap that misunderstanding created, still weighs heavily upon our national progress."
The VP pointed out that rather than expect a miracle or mere rhetoric to close and erase the gap created by such misunderstanding, there must be deliberate effort to end needless cycle of failure that has persisted for long.
This, he said inspired President Bola Tinubu to roll out bold and far-reaching reforms, including the introduction of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and NELFUND to create equitable access to education for all under his watch.
"We strengthened UBEC to deepen basic education infrastructure and accountability. We expanded TETFUND’s intervention footprint to revitalise tertiary institutions. We accelerated our Technical and Vocational Education and Training programmes to reflect the needs of a new economy. We also mainstreamed digital learning as a core national priority," he added.
The Vice President lamented that West African region now carries the burden of the lowest Human Capital Index in the world, stating that Nigeria must invest in education to reverse the trend.
"We must treat education as a survival strategy. This is why our administration treats the National Human Capital Development Programme as a national emergency. We are bringing states, development partners, the private sector and civil society together to reclaim our destiny," he said.
Shettima described the Founder and President/CEO of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Dangote as 'standing apart', saying that in a nation that has produced giants, he remains a colossus.
Applauding the 100 billion annual education support scheme, he said, "His (Dangote's) philanthropy is not episodic. His philanthropy is structural. His philanthropy is generational. His philanthropy is visionary. He is not only the largest private employer of labour in Nigeria. He has also become the most consequential private investor in the rescue of our most critical sector, education."
President of the Foundation, Alhaji Dangote said tha the foundation's ₦100 billion annual education support programme will strengthen Nigeria’s educational sector and expand access to quality learning for young people nationwide, assuring that all beneficiaries will be selected through a transparent and merit-based process.
He announced partnerships with NELFUND, NECO, WAEC, and other government agencies to ensure accountability and fairness in programme delivery, revealing that he has dedicated 25 percent of his personal wealth to the foundation, a commitment that will extend beyond his lifetime.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa described the initiative as one of the most comprehensive human capital development programmes in Nigeria’s history that aligns with the Federal Government’s education reform agenda.
Alausa noted that 25 percent of the scholarship slots will be reserved for persons living with disabilities, calling the gesture a 'humane and inclusive approach.'
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed commended the foundation’s investment in education, saying that the expanded scholarship opportunities—particularly in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)—would create new pathways for Nigerian children.
She described investment in girls’ education as one of the most powerful tools for societal progress.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who spoke on behalf of state governors applauded Dangote’s commitment to the future of Nigerian youth.
He acknowledged that the Dangote foundation redefined philanthropy in Nigeria, just as he said that state governments will work to ensure the success of the initiative, beginning with Lagos State, which has allocated 10 percent of its annual budget to education.
Also, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II commended Dangote for the initiative, even as he encouraged him to continue championing efforts that improve the lives of Nigerians.
The Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Justice Sidi Bage (rtd) pledged the committee’s dedication to ensuring the initiative’s success.
He noted that the long-term multiplier effect of the foundation’s education interventions would significantly strengthen Nigeria’s human capital over the next decade and beyond.
The event ended with the unveiling of of the vision 2030 100 billion dollar logo of the Dangote Foundation.
This was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications (Office of The Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha in Abuja.
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