Aliko Dangote

Aliko Mohammad Dangote GCON (Listen^ⓘ; born 10 April 1957) is a Nigerian businessman known for his key roles in Dangote Group and Dangote Refinery. In 2011, he was appointed as member of the economic management team by President Goodluck Jonathan. Globally, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes he is the 69th richest person and the wealthiest Black individual, with a net worth of nearly US$32.5 billion as of 2026.

In 1977, Dangote founded the Dangote Group, a small company that traded commodities; importing sugar, salt, and food products. In 1981, he founded Dangote Nigeria Limited and Blue Star Services; both imports rice, and bulk materials like steel and aluminum products. Following the large sales by the company, and high demand for cement, Dangote founded Dangote Cement, which faced competition from Lafarge, a French cement manufacturing company known for importing cement to African countries during that period. As of 2023, Dangote Cement has generated about $3.7 billion in revenue, and Dangote Sugar Refinery has been ranked as one of the largest sugar producers in Nigeria and Africa.

Dangote's political activities and views have made him a public figure in Africa. He is also known for his influence on the Economy of Nigeria, hence, he was awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger in 2011 by Goodluck Jonathan and listed in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2014.