Dangote Named Among World’s Top 100 Philanthropists by TIME
Aliko Dangote, the President and CEO of Dangote Industries Limited and Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, has been named among the world’s 100 most influential philanthropists in the 2025 TIME100 Philanthropy list. This recognition by TIME Magazine highlights individuals shaping the future of global giving. Dangote stands out as the only Nigerian on this prestigious list.
According to a statement by Dangote Group, the TIME100 Philanthropy list celebrates 100 global figures across four categories: Titans, Leaders, Trailblazers, and Innovators. Dangote was named one of 23 Titans, joining notable figures such as Michael Bloomberg, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett, and Melinda Gates.
Dangote has built a fortune of $23.9 billion through his ventures in cement, agriculture, and oil refining in Nigeria. However, it is his philanthropic contributions across Africa that have earned him global recognition. In 2014, he endowed his foundation with $1.25 billion. Since then, the Aliko Dangote Foundation has consistently spent about $35 million annually on projects in health, education, and economic empowerment.
He said, “Investing in nutrition, health, education, and economic empowerment is our contribution to setting Africans up for success.” One of the foundation’s major efforts includes a $100 million multi-year campaign to fight severe childhood malnutrition.
Dangote’s work in the health sector also includes a vaccine programme in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners, which contributed to the 2020 World Health Organization declaration that polio had been eradicated from Africa.
Education is another area where Dangote has made a strong impact. He recently donated $10 million to the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology in Kano. In 2019, his foundation made headlines by donating a N1.2 billion hostel to Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria—the largest individual donation to a university in Nigeria at the time.
Through initiatives like Mu Shuka Iri (Let’s Plant a Seed), the foundation has also supported early childhood education. This programme trains local women, known as “Aunties,” in Montessori-style teaching to become educators in Kano communities.
Reflecting on his legacy, Dangote shared, “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.”
