Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday launched the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s N100 billion annual Education Support Programme, calling for renewed national commitment to human capital development and a future in which every Nigerian child can reach their full potential.

The initiative, projected to cost N1 trillion over the next decade, aims to strengthen Nigeria’s education system and expand access to quality education at all levels.

It was formally unveiled in Lagos by the Foundation’s President, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

Speaking at the flag-off, Shettima praised Dangote’s “visionary and generational” philanthropy, saying his investment stands out as one of the most consequential private-sector efforts to rescue Nigeria’s most critical sector.

“Now is the time to recommit to building a future in which every Nigerian child has a fair shot at becoming the best version of themselves,” he said. “Let us live our lives so that posterity remembers us not for the titles we held, but for the doors we opened and the lives we transformed.”

The Vice President urged the private sector to see itself as co-stewards of Nigeria’s education system, stressing that the nation cannot afford to ignore the implications of its rapidly expanding youth population.

“A youthful population is a global asset only when it is educated,” he said. “Without education, it becomes a threat to itself and to the nation that houses it.”

Reflecting on Nigeria’s complex history with formal education, Shettima noted that early mistrust and cultural resistance created gaps that still limit national progress.

He said closing this gap requires deliberate effort, not rhetoric or wishful thinking.

He added that this imperative informed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), expanded UBEC and TETFUND interventions, accelerated Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, and the mainstreaming of digital learning as a national priority.

Shettima also lamented that West Africa now bears the world’s lowest Human Capital Index, insisting that Nigeria must treat education as a “survival strategy.”

“This is why our administration considers the National Human Capital Development Programme a national emergency,” he said. “We are bringing states, development partners, the private sector, and civil society together to reclaim our destiny.”

The Vice President described Dangote as “a colossus in a nation of giants,” adding:
“His philanthropy is not episodic. It is structural, generational, and visionary.

He is not only the largest private employer of labour; he has become the most consequential private investor in the future of our children.”

In his remarks, Alhaji Dangote said the ₦100 billion annual support scheme will operate through a transparent, merit-based process, with partnerships involving NELFUND, NECO, WAEC and other agencies to ensure accountability.

He revealed that he has committed 25 per cent of his personal wealth to the Foundation, an endowment that will outlive him.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, praised the initiative as one of the most comprehensive human capital investments in Nigeria’s history, noting that 25 per cent of scholarships will be reserved for persons living with disabilities, a move he described as “humane and inclusive.”

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed commended the Foundation for creating expanded opportunities, particularly in TVET, which she said would unlock new pathways for Nigeria’s youth.

She noted that investment in girls’ education remains one of the most powerful drivers of societal progress.

Speaking on behalf of state governors, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu lauded Dangote for redefining philanthropy in Nigeria and reaffirmed the readiness of state governments to support the scheme.

He noted that Lagos has already allocated 10 per cent of its annual budget to education.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, also applauded the Foundation, urging Dangote to sustain his commitment to national development.

Chairman of the Programme’s Steering Committee and Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage (rtd), pledged the committee’s dedication to ensuring the scheme delivers long-term, measurable impacts on Nigeria’s human capital.

The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of the Vision 2030: $100 Billion Education Logo of the Dangote Foundation.