By Ayomide Otitoju
Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has been named to TIME Magazine’s inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list, which celebrates 100 global changemakers shaping the future of charitable giving.
Published Tuesday, the list spans 28 countries and is divided into four categories: Titans, Leaders, Trailblazers, and Innovators. Dangote was listed among 23 global Titans, alongside the likes of Michael Bloomberg, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett, and Melinda Gates.
TIME praised Dangote for both his business accomplishments and philanthropic leadership. “Business magnate Aliko Dangote, founder, president and CEO of the Dangote Group, built a net worth of $23.9 billion through cement, agriculture, and oil refining operations in Nigeria,” the magazine noted. His Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), endowed with $1.25 billion in 2014, reportedly spends an average of $35 million annually on initiatives across Africa.
Highlighting the Foundation’s mission, Dangote stated: “Health, education, economic empowerment, disaster relief, and food—these are the five main things that any African nation needs. We need to create the next generation of African leaders.”
Among its major initiatives, the ADF is currently running a $100 million multi-year programme targeting severe child malnutrition, in addition to distributing over one million bags of rice in 2024 under a national food relief effort.
In education, Dangote recently pledged $10 million to the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology in Kano. Looking ahead to 2025, the foundation plans to build school complexes, expand vocational training, and support fellowships through the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders programme.
The foundation also played a key role in Nigeria’s successful campaign to eradicate polio, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other stakeholders—a feat recognized by the World Health Organization in 2015.
Reacting to the recognition, the Dangote Group described it as a significant endorsement of its founder’s sustained commitment to social impact and inclusive development.
Meanwhile, speaking at the Taraba International Investment Summit in Jalingo, Dangote urged governments at all levels to prioritise support for domestic investors as a foundation for attracting foreign investment.
“No foreign investor will come where local businesses are not thriving. Domestic investors are the ones who attract foreign investors,” he said, stressing that consistent government support and enabling policies were vital.
Dangote revealed that the federal government benefits significantly from his business operations, particularly Dangote Cement, stating, “For every ₦1 we generate, 52 kobo goes to the federal government.”
He applauded Governor Agbu Kefas for hosting the summit and pledged to invest in Taraba, citing the state’s vast agricultural potential. “We will invest in Taraba. This is home. We will keep creating jobs,” he affirmed.
Also present at the summit was United Bank for Africa (UBA) Chairman Tony Elumelu, who also expressed his organisation’s interest in investing in the state.
In a related development, TIME Magazine also named Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, and Director of Nutrition, Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, among its 100 Most Influential People in Global Health, further highlighting Nigeria’s growing role on the global humanitarian stage.
