Dangote unveils N1.5bn BUK postgraduate scholarship

Aliko Dangote, founder of the Dangote Group, has committed N1.5 billion ($1.1 million) to support postgraduate students at Bayero University Kano, offering significant relief to hundreds studying business-related courses.

The Aliko Dangote Foundation-funded intervention will support eligible MBA, entrepreneurship, and management students through the MHF Dangote Graduate Business Scholarship.

The agreement was formalised on Tuesday at a ceremony held inside the auditorium of the Dangote Business School in Kano, where representatives of the foundation and the university signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

Under the arrangement, N300 million will be released annually over five years. Each qualified student will receive N150,000 per academic session beginning with the 2024 to 2025 session. The amount represents half of the current N300,000 tuition fee charged by the Business School.

University figures show that the Dangote Business School currently has 1,225 postgraduate students, made up of 696 fresh intakes and 529 returning students. The scholarship is structured to cover all eligible students within that enrolment capacity.

Khalid Bababubu, one of the beneficiaries studying MBA Finance and Investment, described the development as timely and encouraging. He said the support would ease financial pressure on students striving to build careers in manufacturing, finance and enterprise.

“We are happy to be beneficiaries of this initiative. Education is the bedrock of national development, and we will not take this scholarship for granted,” Bababubu said.

Mariya Aliko Dangote, who represented the foundation at the event, said the scholarship reflects a broader commitment to building human capital and expanding economic opportunity.

“Our vision at the Foundation is to build human capital that translates into economic opportunity,” she said. “Strengthening business and entrepreneurship education is critical to turning knowledge into enterprise, innovation and jobs. This scholarship deepens our commitment to Dangote Business School by investing directly in the next generation of business leaders and change makers.”

The Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano, Prof. Haruna Musa, noted that the funding comes at a period when many families are grappling with rising costs.

“This support comes at a critical time for many families. Beyond financial relief, it strengthens the Business School’s role as a centre for developing entrepreneurial and management talent, particularly for women who are increasingly taking leadership roles in enterprise,” he said.

University officials explained that newly admitted students will see the tuition reduction applied automatically during registration. Returning students who have already paid their full fees will receive rebates.

Any unused balance from the first year allocation will remain within the Dangote Business School development envelope to improve learning facilities and strengthen digital academic capacity. The scholarship programme is separate from the foundation’s recently announced nationwide interventions focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.