Raphael Johnson
Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation and President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, has been named in the inaugural 2025 TIME100 Philanthropy list, which recognises the 100 most influential leaders shaping the future of philanthropy across the world.
A statement by the Dangote Group on Tuesday said the businessman is the only Nigerian on the list.
The list, published by TIME Magazine on Tuesday, features Aliko Dangote, whose Foundation reportedly spends an average of $35m a year on programmes across Africa, alongside other global figures in charitable work, such as Michael Bloomberg, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett, and Melinda Gates, all of whom were recognised as Titans.
“A total of 100 influential individuals from 28 countries have been honoured for their philanthropic efforts in four categories: Titans, Leaders, Trailblazers, and Innovators, with Dangote emerging as one of the 23 Titans.
“TIME highlighted Dangote’s remarkable rise to wealth, having built a fortune of $23.9bn through ventures in cement, agriculture, and oil refining in Nigeria. However, his philanthropic efforts are equally noteworthy.
“In 2014, he endowed the Aliko Dangote Foundation with $1.25bn, with the aim of giving back to the continent that played such a key role in his success. The foundation spends an average of $35m each year on various initiatives across Nigeria and Africa,” the statement said.
Dangote stated that “investing in nutrition, health, education, and economic empowerment is our contribution to setting Africans up for success.”
It was added that among the foundation’s ongoing efforts is a $100m multi-year initiative to combat severe childhood malnutrition.
“Furthermore, an earlier vaccine programme in Nigeria, developed in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others, contributed to the World Health Organisation’s 2020 declaration that polio had been eradicated from Africa, Nigeria being the most populous country in Africa and the last country to eradicate the disease.
“Education is another area where Dangote is making a significant impact. He recently announced a $10m donation to the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, based in Kano State. The conglomerate has provided a wealth of infrastructural support to the country’s tertiary institutions.
“In 2019, the Federal Government revealed that the N1.2bn hostel donated by the Aliko Dangote Foundation to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was the largest donation ever made by an individual to a university in Nigeria’s history at that time.
“As a member of The Global Business Coalition for Education, the Aliko Dangote Foundation has also focused on early childhood education. Through the Mu Shuka Iri (Let’s Plant a Seed) programme, local women – affectionately known as ‘Aunties’ – are trained in Montessori-style education to become community educators in Kano,” it was added.
The billionaire businessman further remarked, “We need to create the next generation of African leaders.
“My mother instilled in me the ethos of giving back, which inspired my philanthropy 30 years ago. I trust my three daughters will continue this legacy, just as they will continue to grow our business and impact. I want to be known not just as Africa’s richest person but also as its biggest philanthropist,” he said.
