The richest black man in the world, Aliko Dangote, has launched a N100 billion annual scholarship fund to support the education of 1.3 million Nigerian students for ten years, hence he will have spent N1 trillion by the end of the programme. This funding is critical in many respects as was observed during this year’s celebration of the African Union’s Day of the African child. It has come out clearly that many African governments have consistently failed to meet the global and regional education funding goals and targets and hence ensure quality public education. Reports to the United Nations Educational Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) shows that only a quarter of the African countries have met the globally agreed goals on quality education funding between the years of 2013 to 2023. The low funding levels for the education programmes in Africa are despite the fact that it is the only way through which the continent will come out of poverty and accelerate its development. The World Bank, which has funded many education programmes in many countries across the world, notes that education is the foundational infrastructure for good jobs and the surest way out of poverty. High-quality early childhood development investments in basic numeracy and literacy, and socio-emotional skills provide the best possible start in life. Individuals who achieve high quality education are propelled to high quality employment, earnings, health, and poverty reduction.
Globally, there is a nine percent increase in hourly earnings for every extra year of schooling, and for societies, it drives long-term economic growth, spurs innovation, strengthens institutions, and fosters social cohesion. Education is further a powerful catalyst to climate action through widespread behavior change and skilling for green transitions. The support to education programmes in Nigeria by the richest African, Aliko Dangote should be seen in the light of the Ubuntu philosophy. The African Ubuntu culture and philosophy have been practiced and embraced by Africans and to some extent the black persons for many centuries. In recent decades, it was rejuvenated and became more pronounced as Africans began undergoing self-renewal and re-discovery. Ubuntu has thus provided Africans with a sense of self identity, self-respect and a sense of self achievements which has been made in conjunction with others. It has enabled Africans to embrace a culture that has enabled them to undertake and solve their own problems in a positive manner. This ability is drawn from the humanistic values that are at the cornerstone of Ubuntu, and which have been inherited and perpetuated by many generations as the major culture of the African people. Aliko Dangote shows us that indeed African problems can and will only be sustainably solved by Africans themselves since we have been blessed with immense resources. Dr Giti is an urban management, public – private partnerships (PPP) and environment specialist. mutegigiti@gmail.com, @danielgiti
Dr. Daniel Mutegi Giti 