The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has commended the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s newly unveiled N100bn annual education scholarship initiative, describing it as a major boost to education financing and access across Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND said the initiative would significantly widen access to quality education, particularly for financially vulnerable students, while reinforcing the Federal Government’s commitment to human capital development.
The scholarship scheme was unveiled in Lagos in the presence of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
NELFUND described the programme as a bold demonstration of private-sector partnership that aligns with the president’s Renewed Hope agenda, especially his focus on removing barriers to education and empowering young Nigerians.
“On behalf of NELFUND, we applaud President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for championing collaborative solutions that strengthen our education system,” the statement quoted the Fund’s Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, as saying.
According to Sawyerr, the Dangote Foundation’s N100bn annual scholarship scheme directly complements the Federal Government’s efforts to expand access to education financing and ensure that no Nigerian child is denied learning opportunities because of financial hardship.
“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,” he said.
Sawyerr further noted that the foundation’s decade-long commitment – targeting students in public secondary schools, public tertiary institutions, and a strong science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) scholarship track – would substantially strengthen national initiatives aimed at widening access to education.
He also reaffirmed NELFUND’s readiness to collaborate with the Dangote Foundation and relevant government partners to ensure the effective implementation of the programme.
“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,” Sawyerr added.
The Fund stressed that sustained partnerships among government, the private sector and development stakeholders remain critical to building a resilient and inclusive education ecosystem, in line with President Tinubu’s renewed call for shared responsibility in national development.
The Aliko Dangote Foundation scholarship scheme was formally unveiled on Thursday, December 11, 2025, by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote. The N100bn annual initiative is designed to keep economically disadvantaged Nigerian students in school while boosting long-term human capital development.
The 10-year programme, scheduled to commence in 2026, is expected to begin with about 45,000 scholars and expand to 155,000 beneficiaries annually by its fourth year. By the end of the programme, an estimated 1.3 million students across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas are expected to benefit.
A major pillar of the initiative is the Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars programme, which will provide tuition support for 30,000 undergraduate students each year in public universities and polytechnics.
The STEM-focused component is aimed at expanding access to higher education, strengthening technical capacity, and fostering innovation critical to Nigeria’s economic growth.
