IN SHORT: Ignore social media posts claiming that a Nigerian billionaire and two politicians are giving away money to help people during the month of Ramadan. The posts are a scam.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a time of fasting, prayer, and reflection. The start of Ramadan depends on the sighting of the new moon, which is expected to fall around 18 February 2026.
During this time, Muslims are encouraged to be particularly generous and donate to those in need.
In this context, several Facebook posts claim that some prominent Nigerians are giving out money to help people during Ramadan.
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A machine translation of one post, written in Hausa language, reads: "₦150,000 funding this Ramadan, Isa Ali Ibrahim is helping people. May Allah reward you with blessings. Stay tuned for entry details."
Ali Ibrahim Pantami is a Nigerian Islamic scholar and politician. He previously served as the country's minister of communications and digital economy.
Another post claims that Saliu Mustapha, a Nigerian senator and traditional leader, is running a N50,000 (about US$37) cash giveaway for Ramadan.
According to other versions, Nigerian billionaire and philanthropist Aliko Dangote is giving away N100,000 (about $74) to support Nigerians during the holy month.
Some of the posts encourage users to click on the attached link to "claim" the money. But can these posts be trusted? We checked.
Engagement bait
We found no official announcement from Pantami, Mustapha or Dangote about a Ramadan cash giveaway. This is the first sign that the claim may be false.
We clicked on the link about the alleged Pantami giveaway and landed on an unofficial-looking site, with the headline: "$500,000 U.S. Visa Sponsorship Opportunities in 2026/2027 - Don't Miss Out Apply Now." The site made no mention of Pantami or the supposed "Ramadan funding" - a major red flag.
The link from the second post led us to a suspicious-looking webpage with an image of Mustapha and the supposed giveaway. We clicked on the "claim" button, which took us to a short form requesting our banking information. We filled in made-up details and were allowed to proceed. The final step required us to share the site link with five groups or 15 friends on WhatsApp.
These are examples of engagement bait - posts that ask people to interact by liking, commenting or sharing. The more people do this, the greater the page's reach. They also aim to direct traffic to the site, which may be monetised.
This is not the first time Africa Check has exposed such scams using Dangote's name. Do not trust such claims if they do not appear on the Dangote Group's official website or social media accounts.
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