Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has committed $1.1 million, to fund postgraduate business education in Nigeria, reinforcing a growing trend of billionaire-backed human capital investment across the continent.
- Aliko Dangote has pledged $1.1 million over five years to support postgraduate business education at Bayero University Kano’s Dangote Business School in Nigeria.
- The funding, disbursed through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, will provide annual scholarships that cover half the tuition fees for eligible MBA, entrepreneurship, and management students.
- Currently, the Dangote Business School enrolls 1,225 postgraduate students, all of whom may benefit from this scholarship program.
- This initiative is aligned with a broader strategy of billionaire-led investments in education and entrepreneurship across Africa.
The five-year funding commitment, announced through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, will support MBA, entrepreneurship and management students at Bayero University Kano’s Dangote Business School.
Structured five-year commitment
Under the agreement, N300 million, approximately $222,883, will be disbursed annually over five years.
Beginning in the 2024/2025 academic year, each eligible student will receive N150,000, about $111 per session, covering half of the institution’s current N300,000 ($223) tuition fee.
University data shows the Dangote Business School currently enrols 1,225 postgraduate students.
The scholarship framework is structured to support all qualified students within that capacity, easing financial pressure while strengthening managerial and entrepreneurial training in one of Africa’s largest economies.
Mariya Aliko Dangote, speaking on behalf of the foundation, framed the intervention as part of a broader development strategy.
“Our vision at the Foundation is to build human capital that translates into economic opportunity. Strengthening business and entrepreneurship education is critical to turning knowledge into enterprise, innovation and jobs. This scholarship deepens our commitment to Dangote Business School by investing directly in the next generation of business leaders and change makers.”
Billionaire philanthropy shapes Africa’s skills agenda
The initiative reflects a wider continental trend of billionaire-led investments in education and entrepreneurship.
In recent years, African business leaders such as Strive Masiyiwa, Patrice Motsepe and Tony Elumelu have expanded scholarship and enterprise funding programmes aimed at building local leadership capacity.
Elumelu’s foundation continues to deploy millions of dollars annually to support African entrepreneurs, while Masiyiwa’s Higherlife Foundation has funded thousands of scholarships across Southern Africa.
As African economies pursue diversification, industrialisation and private sector expansion, targeted investments in advanced business education are increasingly viewed as strategic tools for long-term competitiveness.
Dangote’s latest commitment underscores how private capital is playing an expanding role in shaping Africa’s future workforce and enterprise ecosystem.
