The Association for Students Social Welfare (ASSW) has described Aliko Dangote’s newly announced N1 trillion education scholarship initiative as the outcome of more than ten years of sustained student activism and policy engagement across Nigeria.
Dangote, through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, on Wednesday unveiled the decade-long scholarship programme, which will support 1.3 million Nigerian students, beginning with 45,000 beneficiaries in 2026 and expanding to 155,000 students annually by the fourth year.
The initiative, valued at about $688 million, will prioritise science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), girls’ education, teacher training, and educational infrastructure, areas long identified by education stakeholders as critical to national development.
In a statement issued in Lagos, ASSW said the announcement marked a defining moment for Nigerian students, stressing that the intervention did not happen by chance.
“This is not charity; this is justice delivered,” said Ambassador Victor Adetolaju, Founder and National Coordinator of ASSW and the Students Chamber of Commerce. “Every campus protest, every policy paper, and every stakeholder meeting led us to this moment.”
According to ASSW, the Dangote scholarship comes barely a year after the Federal Government established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), following prolonged advocacy by organised student groups demanding accessible and affordable education.
Student leaders say both developments underscore the growing influence of coordinated student movements on national education policy.
ASSW credited several student organisations for sustaining pressure over the years, including the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), National Association of Female Students, National Association of University Students (NAUS), National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), National Association of College of Education Students (NACES), and the Nigerian Medical Students’ Association (NIMSA).
Faith-based student bodies such as the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS), and the National Association of Catholic Students (NACS) were also acknowledged for their roles in student welfare and community advocacy.
ASSW further praised Hon. Sunday Asefon, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students Engagement, for facilitating dialogue between student leaders and the Federal Government.
“His bridge-building efforts helped open doors long considered inaccessible to students,” Adetolaju said.
Under Adetolaju’s leadership, the Students Chamber of Commerce has spent the past two years positioning itself as a platform connecting donors with students, while creating pathways for scholarships, entrepreneurship, and social welfare support across tertiary institutions nationwide.
The organisation said it is ready to collaborate with the Aliko Dangote Foundation and NELFUND to ensure transparent, merit-based, and nationwide distribution of the scholarships.
ASSW urged Nigerian students to stay informed and prepare for the application process as implementation plans unfold.
“When students speak with one voice, decision-makers listen,” the association said. “This moment belongs to every Nigerian student who refused to be silent.”
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