The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has commended the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s N100 billion annual scholarship programme, describing it as a major boost to education financing in Nigeria and a transformative initiative for students from financially vulnerable backgrounds.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Strategic Communications, Mr Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND said the programme would significantly expand access to education and align with the Federal Government’s efforts to remove financial barriers for learners.
The scholarship scheme was unveiled in Lagos on Thursday, December 11, 2025, with Vice President Kashim Shettima representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
NELFUND described the initiative as a bold demonstration of effective private-sector collaboration that supports President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly his commitment to inclusive and quality education for Nigerian children.
“On behalf of NELFUND, we applaud President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for championing collaborative solutions that strengthen our education system,” the statement quoted NELFUND’s Managing Director, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, as saying.
“The Dangote Foundation’s N100 billion annual scholarship scheme directly complements the President’s agenda to remove financial barriers for students and empower the next generation of Nigerian talent.”
Sawyerr noted that the foundation’s decade-long commitment—targeting public secondary schools, tertiary institutions and a strong Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) component—would significantly enhance national efforts to make education financing more accessible and sustainable.
He further emphasised NELFUND’s readiness to partner with the Dangote Foundation and relevant government agencies to ensure efficiency, transparency and maximum impact.
“NELFUND stands ready to engage, support and work collaboratively to maximise the reach and effectiveness of this programme,” he said.
“We are committed to ensuring that no Nigerian is denied educational opportunity due to financial constraints.”
The fund reiterated that partnerships involving government, the private sector and development stakeholders remain critical to building a resilient and inclusive education ecosystem, in line with the President’s renewed call for shared responsibility in national development.
The Aliko Dangote Foundation scholarship programme, which will run for 10 years beginning in 2026, is expected to commence with 45,000 beneficiaries and expand to about 155,000 scholars annually by its fourth year.
Overall, the scheme is projected to support approximately 1.3 million students across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
A key component of the programme is the Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars initiative, which will provide tuition support for 30,000 undergraduate students annually in public universities and polytechnics, with the aim of expanding access to higher education and driving innovation and human capital development.
