Business leaders and media stakeholders in Kano State have commended the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) for its far-reaching interventions across healthcare, education, skills development, women empowerment, poverty alleviation and community development.

The commendations followed the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Foundation and the Kano State Government for the management of the Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre in the state.
Under the agreement, the ADF is expected to take over the management of the multimillion-naira skills acquisition centre for several years, with the objective of strengthening its capacity to equip young people with practical and market-relevant skills.

The development has renewed calls for stronger public-private partnerships to tackle youth unemployment and expand economic opportunities for young Nigerians.
The multimillion-naira Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre in Ganaja, Kogi State, has also been completed and is expected to be commissioned soon.

A statement from the Foundation quotes the Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Kano-Jigawa Branch, Muhammad Bello Isyaku Umar, as describing skills acquisition as one of the most effective tools for tackling youth unemployment in Nigeria.
He said the focus should increasingly shift towards modern technical, digital and industrial skills that are aligned with labour-market demands.

“Programmes such as the Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre can equip young people with practical skills that enable them to become entrepreneurs, artisans or employees. The emphasis should increasingly be on modern technical, digital and industrial skills,” he said.
Umar noted that Kano remains the economic and commercial hub of northern Nigeria, stressing that interventions capable of improving human capital and expanding economic opportunities in the state would have significant ripple effects across the region.

He described the overall impact of ADF interventions in Kano and the northern region as “huge, far-reaching and impactful.”
“The impact has been significant and broad-based. From healthcare and education to women empowerment, water and poverty alleviation, the Foundation has touched many aspects of people’s lives.
“What is particularly commendable is that these interventions complement government programmes while directly addressing the needs of vulnerable communities,” he said.

The MAN chairman also acknowledged the support of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) for the association through its annual sponsorship of MAN programmes.
According to him, the gesture demonstrates Dangote Group’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s manufacturing sector and fostering collaboration among indigenous businesses.
“We sincerely appreciate Dangote Group for this gesture. It demonstrates a strong commitment to Nigerian manufacturing and to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.

Also speaking, Managing Director of Radio Kano, Abubakar Adamu, described the skills acquisition initiative as one of the most “strategically important areas of partnership” for the future of Kano.
According to him, Kano’s large youthful population makes skills development and private-sector-led job creation particularly important.

“Kano has a huge youthful population, and the state cannot solve unemployment simply by creating more conventional government jobs. Young people need skills that correspond to actual market demand,” he said.
Adamu said one of the major strengths of the Aliko Dangote Foundation was its broad-based approach to social intervention, noting that its programmes cut across several critical sectors.
“One of the strengths of the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s approach is that it has not restricted its interventions to one sector. Its programmes have addressed health, nutrition, education, livelihoods, women empowerment and community development,” he said.

He also commended Dangote Group for supporting Radio Kano’s 80th anniversary celebration, describing the contribution as a demonstration of responsible corporate citizenship.
He said the support “added dignity and momentum to the anniversary, and a significant demonstration of corporate citizenship.”
Adamu further cited the Foundation’s intervention at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital as an example of how effective public-private partnerships could strengthen public institutions and improve service delivery.
He also highlighted the Dangote Business School at Bayero University Kano as another significant intervention in human capital development.

According to him, the Foundation’s national food intervention programme, launched in Kano in 2025, further demonstrated its commitment to addressing immediate welfare challenges, with the initiative targeting one million vulnerable Nigerians with food support.

He added that the Dangote Micro-Grant Programme, which was launched in Kano before being expanded nationally, had also provided another avenue for supporting vulnerable people and strengthening livelihoods.
The endorsements underscore the growing recognition of private-sector philanthropy as an important complement to government efforts, particularly in areas where unemployment, poverty, skills gaps and inadequate social infrastructure continue to constrain economic development.