Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is set to donate one-third of his estimated $35.1 billion fortune to charitable causes as part of his long-term succession plan, according to his daughter, Halima Dangote.
Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg, Halima, who serves as a trustee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, disclosed that the billionaire has already secured the approval of his family to dedicate 33 percent of his estate to philanthropy. Based on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the planned donation is valued at approximately $11.7 billion.
She explained that philanthropy has always been at the heart of her father’s vision, noting that he had already transferred a significant portion of his wealth to the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
“He sort of put all the structure in place whereby we focus a lot on health and education. 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,” she said.
Halima added that the arrangement was designed to ensure the foundation continues its humanitarian work for generations.
“That is how important it is to him because philanthropy needs to be in existence generation after generation.”
She further revealed that Dangote asked his daughters and mother to formally endorse the decision in his will.
“He asked myself, my two sisters and his mother to sign under that will that he is able to give that 33 per cent to humanity.”