Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, has pledged N600 million towards the construction of a girls’ hostel at Lagos State University (LASU) and offered employment opportunities to outstanding graduates of the institution.
Dangote made the commitments during the grand finale of LASU’s 29th and 30th combined convocation ceremony held at the university’s main campus in Ojo, Lagos, on Thursday.
The industrialist, who was represented at the event by his daughter, Fatima Aliko Dangote, was also honoured with an honorary Doctor of Business (Honoris Causa) degree in Entrepreneurship, Industrial and Human Capital Development.
According to a statement issued after the ceremony, the donation would be made through the Aliko Dangote Foundation as part of efforts to support student welfare and academic development at the university.
Dangote also announced that first-class graduates in Engineering and Sciences from the graduating classes would receive preferential consideration for employment with the Dangote Group after completing their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
The statement said the initiative was aimed at supporting academic excellence and creating employment opportunities for high-performing graduates.
“First-class graduates in Engineering and Sciences from the graduating class would receive preferential consideration for employment with the Dangote Group after completing their National Youth Service Corps programme,” the statement said.
Dangote Group currently employs more than 52,000 people across Nigeria and 11 other African countries, while the Dangote Academy provides practical and industry-focused training for graduates seeking careers in the industrial sector.
The Aliko Dangote Foundation also operates an education scholarship programme and has announced plans to invest $70 million annually over the next 10 years in secondary and tertiary education.
The planned investment will cover areas including teacher training, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as technical and vocational education.
The Dangote Foundation’s latest commitment came shortly after Lagos State Governor and visitor to LASU, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, donated N20 million each to the two best graduating students at the combined convocation.
Speaking at the ceremony, Sanwo-Olu congratulated the graduating students, their parents, sponsors and lecturers, while highlighting the university’s contribution to human capital development in the state.
The governor said LASU produced a total of 20,604 graduates across the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions, including 494 first-class graduates.
The combined convocation therefore featured a strong focus on academic achievement, student welfare and opportunities for graduates to transition from university into the workforce.
Dangote’s pledge is expected to further strengthen support for infrastructure and educational development at LASU, while the employment offer could provide a pathway into the industrial sector for some of the university’s highest-performing graduates.
