Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation and President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, has been recognized in the inaugural 2025 TIME100 Philanthropy list, celebrating the 100 most influential leaders shaping the future of philanthropy globally. This announcement was made by the Dangote Group, highlighting Dangote as the only Nigerian on the list.
The TIME Magazine list features prominent figures in charitable work, including Michael Bloomberg, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett, and Melinda Gates, with Dangote being categorized as one of the 23 “Titans.” TIME noted Dangote’s impressive rise to wealth, amassing a fortune of $23.9 billion through ventures in cement, agriculture, and oil refining, while also emphasizing his significant philanthropic efforts.
In 2014, Dangote endowed the Aliko Dangote Foundation with $1.25 billion to give back to the continent that contributed to his success. The foundation spends an average of $35 million annually on various initiatives across Nigeria and Africa. Dangote stated, “Investing in nutrition, health, education, and economic empowerment is our contribution to setting Africans up for success.”
The foundation is currently running a $100 million multi-year initiative to combat severe childhood malnutrition and has previously partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help eradicate polio in Nigeria. Additionally, Dangote has made substantial contributions to education, including a recent $10 million donation to the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology in Kano State.
Dangote expressed his commitment to creating the next generation of African leaders, drawing inspiration from his mother’s ethos of giving back. He said, “I want to be known not just as Africa’s richest person but also as its biggest philanthropist.”
