Dangote’s heirs back plan to give one-third of his $35.1 billion wealth to charity

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, plans to leave one-third of his wealth to charity, with his children and mother backing the arrangement as part of his succession plan.

Dangote’s daughter, Halima Dangote, who is a trustee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, disclosed the plan in an interview with Bloomberg, saying the billionaire considers philanthropy an important part of his legacy.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Dangote’s wealth is currently estimated at $35.1 billion. If his fortune remains at that level, one-third would be worth approximately $11.6 billion, making the planned charitable allocation one of the largest philanthropic commitments by an African billionaire.

What they are saying

Halima said Dangote asked her, her two sisters and their mother to sign the arrangement allowing him to give 33% of his wealth to humanity.

She explained that the commitment is consistent with Islamic inheritance principles and reflects the family’s long-standing approach to philanthropy.

• “Giving back is part and parcel of what we do,” Halima said, adding that the family believes the success of its businesses is connected to its charitable activities.
• The planned donation builds on the billionaire’s existing philanthropic activities through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which was established in 1994.
• According to Halima, the foundation was endowed with $1.25 billion about a decade ago and has received an additional $700 million in funding more recently.
• The foundation directs the majority of its funding to Nigeria, with about 70% spent in the country, another 20% allocated across Africa and the remainder supporting initiatives elsewhere globally.

Its activities have included interventions in health, nutrition and humanitarian relief, as well as partnerships with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and northern Nigerian state governments to support the eradication of wild polio in Nigeria. Africa was declared free of wild poliovirus transmission in 2020.

More insight

Dangote’s planned charitable allocation comes at a time when wealth inequality remains a major issue across Africa. Oxfam reported in 2025 that the average income of Africa’s richest 1% had grown five times faster than that of the bottom 50% since 2020.

• The planned 33% allocation, however, is below the 50% minimum generally associated with the Giving Pledge, a global initiative through which wealthy individuals commit to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropy.

Only a small number of African billionaires have joined the Giving Pledge, including South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe and his wife Precious, Zimbabwean couple Strive and Tsitsi Masiyiwa, and Tanzanian billionaire Mohammed Dewji.

What you should know

Dangote’s planned charitable giving builds on a philanthropy record spanning more than a decade. In March 2025, Aliko Dangote was named among the world’s most influential philanthropists in TIME Magazine’s inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list.

• He was one of 23 honorees in the “Titans” category and the only Nigerian on the list, alongside global figures including Michael Bloomberg, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett and Melinda French Gates.
• TIME highlighted Dangote’s business success and his philanthropic work through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which was reported to spend more than N50 billion (about $35 million) annually on charitable programmes across Africa. At the time, his fortune was estimated at $23.9 billion, built largely through interests in cement, agriculture and oil refining.

His charitable activities date back even further. In July 2014, the Dangote Group said Dangote had donated about N30 billion to charity across Africa over the preceding two years, with the foundation planning to expand its interventions across the continent.