GBC-Education Founding Member Wins 2016 African Business Leader Award

Photo by Lana Wong/Education Commission

Aliko Dangote, Chairman and CEO of Dangote Group, was honored with the Africa-America Institute’s (AAI) 2016 African Business Leader Award on September 20th at AAI’s annual award gala.

Mr. Dangote, reports AAI, received the award for “his role in championing African entrepreneurship, greater business and investment in Africa through his company’s global brand and his commitment to expanding regional integration on the continent.” At the awards event, he recognised his areas of focus for social change, “I am a founding member of the Global Business Coalition for Education. Education is also one of the cardinal areas that the Aliko Dangote Foundation focuses on.”

Dangote Group, founded in 1981 by Mr. Dangote, has grown into the largest manufacturing conglomerate in West Africa, and operates within 18 African countries. But, beyond his evident accomplishments in the private sector, Mr. Dangote has also made an indelible mark in the social sector – both in his home country of Nigeria and globally – placing the greatest priority on good nutrition and quality education for every child. Mr. Dangote is the President of the Dangote Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Dangote Group, which mainly supports serious crisis issues in Nigeria. The Dangote Foundation also co-leads GBC-Education’s Girls’ Education Task Force, a convening of business leaders that coordinates resources and champions change for girls and their right to a quality education.

Speaking last week at GBC-Education’s annual breakfast, Mr. Dangote shared that Dangote Group donated $5 million to support the reopening of schools in Northeastern Nigeria affected by Boko Haram, and partnered with the Gates Foundation to provide more than $100 million over the next few years toward child malnutrition support.

Additionally, Mr. Dangote was appointed as a Commissioner to the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity, founded in 2015 to identify keys strategies that will ensure all children and young people have access to quality education needed to thrive in the 21st century.

“I believe quality and affordable education will address the immense social and economic inequalities that often breed discontent in many parts of Africa,” emphasized Mr. Dangote at the Africa-America Institute’s award gala, “I also believe education will strengthen the human capital that will drive Africa’s development in the 21st century.”

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