Dare Babalola
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has hailed the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s N100 billion yearly scholarship program, saying it’s a game-changer for education financing in Nigeria, opening up opportunities for many students.
In a statement issued by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, on Saturday, the fund praised the initiative, launched in Lagos with Vice President Kashim Shettima representing President Bola Tinubu.
It was described as a bold move showcasing private-sector collaboration, aligning with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and his push for quality education for all Nigerian children.
“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 statement quoted NELFUND’s Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, to have said.
He highlighted that the foundation’s decade-long commitment focusing on public secondary schools, tertiary institutions, and a major STEM scholarship track would significantly boost the country’s efforts to make education financing more accessible.
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.
