Aliko Dangote, the Chairman Aliko Dangote Foundation and President/Chief Executive, 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.

Dangote is the only Nigerian on this distinguished list.

The prestigious list, published by TIME Magazine on Tuesday, features Aliko Dangote, whose Foundation spends an average of $35 million 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 are 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 $23.9 billion through ventures in cement, agriculture, and oil refining in Nigeria.

However, his philanthropic efforts are equally noteworthy.

My mother instilled in me the ethos of giving back, which inspired my philanthropy 30 years ago.

In 2014, he endowed the Aliko Dangote Foundation with $1.25 billion, with the aim of giving back to the continent that played such a key role in his success.

The foundation spends on average of $35 million each year on various initiatives across Nigeria and Africa. “Investing in nutrition, health, education, and economic empowerment is our contribution to setting Africans up for success” – Dangote remarked, reflecting the foundation’s core priorities.

Among the foundation’s ongoing efforts is a $100 million 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 $10 million 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 N1.2 billion 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.

The foundation’s investments in education include providing vocational training and providing scholarships at the secondary and tertiary levels, in addition to offering annual fellowships through the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders programme.

“We need to create the next generation of African leaders,” Dangote says, underscoring his commitment to long-term societal change.

“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.”

A police officer in Ibadan has shot and killed a student who was heading to the examination centre to sit for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination being organised by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The incident happened on Gbagi market road in the Egbeda Local Government Area of the state when a stray bullet allegedly fired by a police officer in pursuit of a suspect hit and allegedly killed the student on Tuesday.

Investigations revealed that the boy was on a motorcycle with his father and twin brother when the incident struck.

The student, according to multiple eyewitnesses, was on his way to the examination centre.

An eyewitness, simply identified as Ajani, said, “A police officer opened fire while chasing a fleeing vehicle.

One of the bullets reportedly hit the student. The student was riding on a motorcycle with his father and twin brother.

“The victim was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Another witness said, “The deceased was on his way to the examination centre alongside his twin brother when the tragedy happened.”

Meanwhile, irate youths took the student’s lifeless body to the state Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, to demand justice and called on Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene.

The deceased body has been deposited at Adeoyo Hospital morgue.

As of press time, authorities have not released an official statement on the incident.

She further appreciated the support of the Lagos State Government, through the ministry of basic and secondary education, for creating an enabling environment for private sector players to contribute their quota to the development of education in the state.

The 2nd edition of the Annual Educating The Educators Training and Consultancy (EET&C) Spelling Bee competitions amongst Junior and Secondary schools in Lagos State, will be held on the 28th of May 2025.

This was disclosed by the Principal Consultant EET & C, Ms Adeolaoluwa Badejo

She explained that the competition which is approved by the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, will be held in all six Education districts of Lagos State with finalists from each District proceeding to the State finals, which features separate categories for the junior and secondary schools.

On the motive for the spelling bee competition amongst public schools, she said, “As educators, we have to improve literacy communication and language development leveraging the power of reading and spelling as a tool for lifelong learning”.

Ms Badejo a teacher, trainer and early childhood education specialist, emphasised the need to promote a reading culture amongst students across the state, and expressed optimism that the spelling bee competition will encourage the students to broaden their vocabulary and not shy away from seemingly difficult words in the course of their study.

She further appreciated the support of the Lagos State Government, through the ministry of basic and secondary education for creating an enabling environment for private sector players to contribute their quota to the development of education in the state.

She also highlighting the immense progress and revitalisation of the education sector as a whole under the THEMES+ agenda of The Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-olu.

The preliminaries kick off with District 4 Finals at the Lagos City College, Yaba, on the 28th of May 2025, with other District finals following, culminating in the State finals, which will be held on the 25th of June 2025.