The Nigerian Aliko Dangoté has gone down in history as the first African businessman to count in the closed circle of more than 20 billion dollars (15.3 billion euros). And he is also the first African to enter the Top 25 of the ranking of the American magazine Forbes.
It was towards the end of the 1970s that Aliko Dangoté launched into business. The legend, which he is said to have helped to manufacture, has it that the African billionaire of Nigerian origin started his "business" at the age of eight. Early! By selling sweets he had made himself to his parents' domestic workers. It was then that one of his uncles who was already in the business, by the name of Sanusi Dantata, accompanied him in his business. By giving him capital (500,000 Naira according to some sources) and trucks to start transporting. The cement which was a vein and which still remains so in many African countries allowed him to grow his capital which he had to repay within two years to his uncle. He was only 20 years old then.
His business was thus launched. Like a rocket that left its launching pad towards the firmament. Aliko Dangoté then went to settle in Lagos, the business capital of Nigeria and capital of the country at the time still from the beginning of the 1980s. To create: Dangoté Group, the Dangoté Group in 1981. He invests in several sectors of activity, ranging from cement to the import of sugar and rice through the banking sector. When the military ousted the regime of civilian President Shehu Shagari from power on December 31, 1983, they conducted a witch hunt against some of the country's businessmen accused of colluding with the ousted president's corrupt regime, Aliko Dangoté did not need to be asked to find a place in the sun.
Aliko Dangoté, boss of Dangoté Group
The Nigerian businessman whose spirit of curiosity and flair we recognize later decided to diversify his business. And inspired by the Brazilian model, he went on a trip to the country of Dima Rousseff in 1999. Of his trip he said: "I thought that Brazil and Nigeria were at about the same level, because at that time we heard that Brazil was a very indebted nation. But when I went there, I discovered a massive industrialization. Incredible. I started thinking by saying to myself “how come there is such a development of the industry in Brazil and not in Nigeria”. When I got back, I decided to get into the industry”.
This native of a family of traders from Kano, in northern Nigeria, now belongs to the caste of African billionaires, like his compatriot Mike Adenuga. And his Dangoté Group has expanded its business sprawling across several African countries, including factories in Zambia, Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa. And he does not intend to stop in such a good way. Quite the contrary. On November 14, 2011, Nigeria, so to speak, decided through the company of its President Goodluck Jonathan to show him its gratitude by elevating him to the rank of Grand Commander of the National Order.
The Nigerian billionaire touches on all the veins that make his fortune continue to grow. Starting from cement, this businessman has been able to diversify his business by embracing several sectors one after the other and over the years: manufactured goods, banks, agri-food, real estate... He currently ranks 23rd in the 2014 ranking of men and women. the richest in the world from the American magazine Forbes. According to the latest Bloomberg ranking dated August 9, 2021, Aliko Dangoté remains the richest man in Africa. It ranks 117th among the top 120 in the world. The ranking made on April 6, 2021 by Forbes magazine, puts him in 1st position among the richest men in Africa and in 19th position among the richest men in the world, with a fortune of around 12.1 billion dollars.
By Serge Félix N’Piénikoua
