Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote, plans to donate one-third of his multibillion-dollar fortune to charity, a pledge that could ultimately direct more than $11 billion toward philanthropy and make him one of the world’s most generous billionaire donors.
Giving It Away
The commitment was revealed by Dangote’s daughter, Halima Dangote, during an interview with Bloomberg, where she said the Nigerian industrialist has already secured his family’s approval to include the charitable gift in his will.
“He made an announcement and he asked myself, my two sisters, and his mother to sign under that will that he is able to give that 33% to humanity,” Halima Dangote told Bloomberg.
Based on Forbes’ estimate of Dangote’s $35 billion net worth, one-third of his fortune would equal roughly $11.7 billion. However, that figure could climb significantly as his business empire continues to expand.
The 69-year-old billionaire recently signed an $800 million agreement with China’s Sinoma International Engineering Company to double production capacity at the Dangote Cement Plant in Itori, Nigeria. The expansion will increase annual output from 6 million to 12 million metric tons, strengthening the company’s position as Africa’s largest cement producer while supporting exports across the entire continent.
Dangote is also preparing to take his massive Nigerian oil refinery public later this year.
While best known for building one of Africa’s largest industrial conglomerates, Dangote has spent decades investing in philanthropy. He established the Aliko Dangote Foundation in 1994, which focuses on healthcare, education, nutrition, and economic empowerment across Africa. The foundation has funded initiatives ranging from childhood malnutrition programs to disease prevention and educational opportunities.
Dangote has previously said he wants his legacy to extend beyond business success.
“I want to be known not just as Africa’s richest person, but also as its biggest philanthropist,” he said after being named to TIME’s list of the World’s Top 100 Philanthropists in 2025.
Dangote started out in 1977 with a small trading business before expanding into sugar, flour, salt, and cement. Today, the Dangote Group operates across multiple industries, including cement manufacturing, fertilizer production and oil refining, with operations spanning numerous African countries.
Dangote will join a select group of billionaires, including Warren Buffett and MacKenzie Scott, who have pledged to devote a significant share of their fortunes to philanthropy.
