News
Aliko Dangote Makes TIME100 Most Influential Global Philanthropists
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.
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 new documentary on the life and political struggle of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola is set to premiere in Nigerian cinemas in October.
Titled MKO, the 108-minute film is directed by Ose Oyamendan and produced with American documentary filmmaker Mark Jonathan Harris. It explores the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely regarded as free and fair, Abiola’s subsequent detention, and the controversial circumstances surrounding his death in custody in 1998.
The documentary features interviews with key figures including former military rulers Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, Abiola’s running mate Baba Gana Kingibe, members of the Abiola family, journalists, and diplomats.
Oyamendan, who worked as a young journalist during the June 12 crisis, has described the film as an investigative documentary that examines Nigeria’s unfinished democratic journey. It had its world premiere earlier this year at the Sheffield DocFest in the United Kingdom.
The Nigerian cinema release is scheduled for early October, with some reports linking the premiere to Independence Day on October 1.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results of underage candidates for viewing.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the Board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB defined an underage candidate for the 2026 admission exercise as any candidate who will be less than 16 years old as at September 30, 2026.
Benjamin said the results were released primarily to enable candidates and their parents or guardians to know their performance in the examination. However, he stressed that the release does not confer eligibility for admission on all underage candidates.
According to him, the results cannot be used for admission or any other official purpose, except by candidates who satisfy the stringent requirements prescribed for exceptionally performing underage candidates.
Candidates can check their results by sending “RESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the same SIM card with which they registered for the UTME.
JAMB reiterated that only underage candidates who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and maturity will be considered for admission through a rigorous, multi-stage assessment process. Key requirements include a minimum UTME score of 320, at least 80 per cent performance in relevant Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) subjects where applicable, satisfaction of the Post-UTME requirements of their chosen institutions, and a final assessment conducted by experts.
Veteran journalist Mr. Ohi Odiai and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Ohi-Odiai, today mark their 17th wedding anniversary, a milestone that highlights an enduring partnership built on mutual support, professional excellence, and family.
Mr. Odiai serves as Deputy Head of News at Arise News TV, one of Nigeria’s leading television networks. He is also the CEO and Chief Editor of Ohibaba.Com, the online news platform he founded and continues to steer as a key voice in digital journalism. His career spans years of impactful reporting, newsroom leadership, and media innovation.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ohi-Odiai is the owner and founder of Bukbeth Concepts Classic, a business reflecting her entrepreneurial drive and creative vision. Together, the couple has built a home grounded in shared values and quiet strength.
The family is blessed with three children — two boys and a girl — who form the heart of their journey.
Friends, colleagues, and well-wishers describe the Odiais as a model of resilience and partnership in both public and private life.
As they celebrate 17 years of marriage today, September 5, 2026, the couple is receiving warm congratulations from across the media and business communities. Their story stands as a reminder that lasting unions thrive on commitment, respect, and the everyday work of building a life together.
Happy anniversary to Mr. Ohi Odiai and Mrs. Elizabeth Ohi-Odiai.
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