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Aliko Dangote

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Aliko Dangote
A photograph of Dangote, wearing a black suit on a white shirt and tie
Dangote, 2014
Born (1957-04-10) 10 April 1957 (age 67)
Kano, Kano State, British Nigeria
Years active1977–present
Known forBeing the richest man in Africa
Spouses
Zainab Dangote
​
​
(m. 1977, divorced)​
Mariya Muhammad Rufai
​
​
(divorced)​

Aliko Dangote (10 April 1957) is a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist. Born in Kano to a wealthy Hausa family, he was educated in Kano, and was the great-grandson of Alhassan Dantata, the richest person in West Africa at the time of his death in 1955. Dangote is the founder of the Dangote Group.

Early life and family

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Dangote's parents, Hajiya Mariya Dangote (née Dantata) and Mohammed Dangote lived in Kano, Kano State, British Nigeria. His father was a businessman and his mother was the granddaughter of Alhassan Dantata. Dangote was born on 10 April 1957. He attended school in Kano, in Kano State, for his primary and secondary education.[1]

His mother, Mariya Sanusi Dantata, was the daughter of businessman Sanusi Dantata.[2] Through his mother, he is the great-grandson of Alhassan Dantata, the richest person in West Africa at the time of his death in 1955.[3] Dangote's brother, Sani (1959/60–2021), was also a businessman.[4][5] Dangote was educated at the Sheikh Ali Kumasi Madrasa, followed by Capital High School in Kano.[6] In 1978, he graduated from the Government College, Birnin Kudu.[7] He received a bachelor's degree in business studies and administration from Al-Azhar University in Cairo.[8][6]

Marriage and business career

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Dangote in 2011

Dangote married Zainab in 1977. They later divorced at an unknown date. He married Mariya Muhammad Rufai and the couple divorced on an unknown date. During his early marriages, Dangote has three daughters: Halima, Mariya, and Fatimah. He also has an adopted son, Abdulrahman.[9][10]

In 1977 Dangote relocated to Lagos and established a small company which he called the Dangote Group. He first received 500,000 naira loan from his uncle to begin trading in commodities, including bagged cement and agricultural products including rice and sugar.[11] the company has been considered as one of the largest conglomerates in Africa, with industrial divisions: Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Cement, and Dangote Flour.[12]

In July 2012, Dangote's request to the Nigerian Ports Authority to lease an abandoned land at Apapa Port was approved.[13] In February 2022, he announced the completion of the Peugeot assembling facility in Nigeria following his partnership with Stellantis, the parent company manufacturers of Peugeot. On 22 May 2023 in Lekki, Dangote commissioned the Dangote Refinery.

In May 2024, Aliko Dangote reaffirmed his ambitions regarding the re-appropriation of energy resources in Africa saying:[14]

My dream is to use raw materials from Africa, refine them and sell them on our own market.

Legacy

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Dangote became the first billionaire in Nigeria in 2007.[15] In 2012 The Guardian wrote that he is the richest man in Africa and the richest black man in the world."[16] According to Nigerian newspaper Vanguard, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index reports that Dangote's wealth increased by $9.2 billion in 2013. The 2015 Swiss Leaks revealed that he was a client of the British university Bank, HSBC, thereby having assets in the British Virgin Islands.[15] As of 2024, Dangote is the richest person in Africa, with an estimated net worth of US$13.9 billion, surpassing counterpart Johann Rupert.[17]

While serving as a member of NEMT,[a] Dangote was awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON)[b] by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.[18] In April 2014, Time listed him among its 100 most influential people in the world.[19] In 2015 Dangote was listed among "50 Most Influential Individuals in the World" by Bloomberg,[20] the Guardian Man of the Year award,[21] and was cited as one of the top 100 most influential Africans by London-based magazine, New African.[22]

Dangote was named co-chair of the US-Africa Business Center in September 2016 by the United States Chamber of Commerce.[23] he was appointed as the Chairman of the Nigeria End Malaria Council by Buhari in August 2022.[24]

Later events

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Dangote was appointed by Goodluck Jonathan as member of his economic management team in 2011.[25] In 2017, he denied the allege run for Nigerian president in the 2019 election,[26] and served on the special advisory committee for the reelection campaign of Muhammadu Buhari.[27]

Dangote has worked alongside the Gates Foundation on public health issues.[28] In August 2014, he donated 150 million naira to assist the Nigerian government's efforts of treating and preventing Ebola.[29] In May 2016 he pledged $10 million to support Nigerians affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.[30] In March 2020, he donated 200 million naira to fight against the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.[31]

Dangote is a fan of English football team Arsenal F.C. and showed interest in buying the club in 2019.[32] In 2020, he made a donation to Nigeria's ministry of sports inorder to help renovate the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.[33]

Notes

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  1. ^ TNEMT is an account meaning the National Economic Management Team.
  2. ^ GCON is the second highest honor given in Nigeria.

Citations

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  1. ^ Iheka 2011.
  2. ^ admin (10 April 2017). "Aliko Dangote: The African Icon at 60!". This Day Live. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  3. ^ Lawal, Dahiru (29 May 2023). "Fact-Check: Did Dangote Come to Lagos with Nothing 45 years ago?". PRNigeria News. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Sani Dangote dies: Aliko Dangote brother Sani, Vice President of Dangote Group don die". BBC News Pidgin (in Nigerian Pidgin). 15 November 2021. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Sani Dangote burial fotos". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Aliko Dangote: Things You Never Knew About Him, His Wives and Children – Naija News". naijanews.com. 17 March 2017. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  7. ^ IV, Editorial (4 January 2018). "Birnin Kudu College hails Dangote on projects". Blueprint. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  8. ^ "The World's Billionaires: Aliko Dangote". Forbes.com. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  9. ^ David, Pilling (25 November 2019). "Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest man, on his 'crazy' $12bn project". Nigerian Infopedia. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  10. ^ Italoye, Ibukun (25 November 2019). "Aliko Dangote's Children: Names of His Sons & Daughters". Nigerian Infopedia. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  11. ^ Umoh, Ruth (5 December 2018). "Billionaire Aliko Dangote is the world's richest black person—here's how he made his wealth". CNBC. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Somalia orders top U.N. official to leave". Reuters. 2 January 2019. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  13. ^ "Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (DSR)", Institute of Developing Economies-Japan External Trade Organization. Accessed 26 November 2015.
  14. ^ "Aliko Dangote : « Mon rêve, c'est d'utiliser les matières premières d'Afrique, de les raffiner et de les vendre sur notre propre marché »". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). 24 May 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Billionaire ranking: Dangote reclaims top position on Forbes Africa's list". Vanguard News. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  16. ^ Hirsch, Afua (3 April 2012). "Africa's richest man is cementing his place in history". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  17. ^ Dan-Awoh, Deborah (7 September 2024). "Nigeria's Aliko Dangote regains Africa's richest title from Johan Rupert". Nairametrics. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  18. ^ "Why we offered GCON to Dangote". Vanguard News. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  19. ^ "Dangote, Okonjo-Iweala Named In Time Magazine 100 Most Influential". Channels Television. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  20. ^ "Dangote Emerges Only African on Bloomberg's List of 50 Most Influential People". This Day. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  21. ^ "Dangote honored as the guardian man of the year 2015". guardian.ng. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  22. ^ "Nigerians dominate New Africa's 100 Most Influential Africans of 2015". Vanguard. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  23. ^ "US Chamber names Dangote Co-Chair of US-Africa Business Centre". Vanguard News. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  24. ^ "Buhari inaugurates Dangote-led Nigeria End Malaria Council". Premium Times. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  25. ^ "Nigeria's Jonathan adds Dangote to economic team". Reuters. 19 August 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  26. ^ "I'm Not Running For 2019 Presidency Says Aliko Dangote". Nairametrics. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  27. ^ "2019: Presidency clarifies Dangote's role in Buhari's campaign as Nigerians". 29 December 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  28. ^ Falade, Faderera (26 September 2019). "What I Admire Most About Dangote – Bill Gates". Nigeria News. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  29. ^ "Nigeria reports one more Ebola case, 11 in total". Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 August 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  30. ^ "Boko Haram crisis: Nigerian tycoon Dangote donates $10m in aid". BBC News. 10 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  31. ^ "Dangote donate N200m to fight Coronavirus in Nigeria". CNBC Africa. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  32. ^ Onu, Emele; Lacqua, Francine (24 September 2024). "My Dream of Buying Arsenal Is Over, Says Africa's Richest Man". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  33. ^ "Dangote's $1m for renovation of MKO Abiola stadium excites Adelabu – Nigeria and World News". The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.

Sources

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