The Aliko Dangote Foundation has received commendation from business leaders and media practitioners in Kano State for what they described as far – reaching and impactful interventions in the state.
The commendations are coming against the backdrop of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Foundation and the Kano State Government on the management of the Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre.
According to the Kano State Government, the ADF will take over the management of the Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre for some years.
The multimillion-naira Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition centre at Ganaja, Kogi State, has also been completed and slated for commissioning.
In his response, Muhammad Bello Isyaku Umar, chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Kano -Jigawa branch, said that skills acquisition is one of the most effective ways of addressing youth unemployment in Nigeria.
‘Programmes such as the Aliko Dangote Skill Acquisition Centre can equip young people with practical skills that enable them to become entrepreneurs, artisans or employees. The emphasis should increasingly be on modern technical, digital and industrial skills,’ he said.
He noted that Kano remains the economic and commercial hub of northern Nigeria, adding that the overall
impact of ADF interventions in Kano and Northern Nigeria is huge, far-reaching and impactful.
‘The impact has been significant and broad -based. From healthcare and education to women’s empowerment, water and poverty alleviation, the Foundation has touched many aspects of people’s lives. What is particularly commendable is that these interventions complement government programmes while directly addressing the needs of vulnerable communities,’ he said.
He disclosed that MAN has also been one of the beneficiaries of the Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) through annual sponsorship of its programmes.
‘We sincerely appreciate Dangote Group for this gesture. It demonstrates a strong commitment to Nigerian manufacturing and to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. For MAN Kano/Jigawa, it is particularly significant because it strengthens collaboration among indigenous manufacturers, government and major industrial investors. It also sends a powerful message to our over 1,000 members across Kano and Jigawa that Nigerian businesses can support one another in building a stronger industrial economy’.
In his response, Abubakar Adamu, managing director, Radio Kano, described the intervention as the single most ‘strategically important area of partnership for Kano’s future’.
‘Kano has a huge youthful population, and the state cannot solve unemployment simply by creating more conventional government jobs. Young people need skills that correspond to actual market demand,’ he said.
‘One of the strengths of the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s approach is that it has not restricted its interventions to one sector. Its programmes have addressed health, nutrition, education, livelihoods, women’s empowerment and community development’.
He said that the Dangote Group’s support for Radio Kano during its 80th anniversary celebration added dignity and momentum to the anniversary, and was a significant demonstration of cooperate citizenship.
‘Intervention at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital illustrates what an effective public -private partnership can accomplish.
Another important example is the Dangote Business School at Bayero University Kano.
‘More recently, it launched a national food intervention programme in Kano in 2025, targeting one million vulnerable Nigerians with food support. The Dangote Micro -Grant Programme was launched in Kano and was subsequently expanded nationally’.