President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has been appointed to the steering committee of the United Nation Global Education First Initiative, a five-year global advocacy initiative sponsored by Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, to make a sustainable impact on lives of children and youth through education and push to achieve internationally-agreed education goals set for 2015.

In the UN Secretary-General’s own words, “When we put Education First, we can reduce poverty and hunger, end wasted potential – and look forward to stronger and better societies for all.”

The three priorities of Education First, according to Ki-moon, are: putting every child into school; improving the quality of learning and fostering global citizenship.

Dangote has meanwhile been appointed to co-chair 2014 World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos-Kloster, Switzerland.

The Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, Prof. Klaus Schwab, in his invitation letter to the business mogul, said Dangote’s participation as co-chair will contribute significantly to the substance and relevance of exchanges between global leaders from government, business, academia, civil society, and the media at the forum.

The theme for the 2014 annual forum scheduled to hold from January 22, 2014 to January 25, 2014 is “The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics, and Business.” It aims to “develop insights, initiatives and actions necessary to respond to current and emerging global challenges,” Prof. Schwab said.

•Photo shows Aliko Dangote.