Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, plans to donate one-third of his wealth to charity as part of his long-term succession plan, according to his daughter, Halima Dangote.
Halima, who serves as a trustee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, revealed the arrangement in an interview with Bloomberg. She said the billionaire had secured the support of his family to dedicate 33% of his estate to philanthropy.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Dangote’s net worth is estimated at $35.1 billion. Based on that valuation, one-third of his fortune would amount to approximately $11.7 billion, making it one of the largest charitable commitments ever announced by an African billionaire.
Halima explained that philanthropy has always been central to her father’s vision and legacy.
She said Dangote had already donated 25% of his assets to the foundation and later structured his estate in line with Islamic inheritance principles.
“He actually donated 25 per cent to the foundation. If you look at it, it is what we call in Sharia Code in Islam; it means he has donated 33 per cent of his whole inheritance to his foundation,” Halima said.
She added that the arrangement was designed to ensure the foundation continues its work for generations.
According to her, Dangote believes business success comes with a responsibility to give back to society.
She also disclosed that Dangote requested his daughters and mother to sign the will approving the allocation of 33% of his inheritance to humanitarian causes.
The planned donation builds on the work of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which was established in 1994.
Halima said the foundation received an endowment of $1.25 billion about a decade ago and has since secured an additional $700 million in funding.
She noted that around 70% of the foundation’s annual spending supports projects in Nigeria. Another 20% is invested across Africa, while the remaining funds are used for initiatives in other parts of the world.
The foundation focuses on health, education, nutrition and humanitarian relief. It has also partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and governments in northern Nigeria to support efforts that contributed to the eradication of wild poliovirus in Africa.
Dangote’s latest commitment comes as billionaire philanthropy continues to attract global attention. Although the proposed donation is below the 50% benchmark associated with the Giving Pledge, it would still rank among the biggest philanthropic commitments by an African billionaire.
Earlier this year, TIME magazine included Dangote in its inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list, recognizing the impact of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which spends more than ₦50 billion annually on charitable programmes across Africa.
