Aliko Dangote facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aliko Dangote
GCON
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Dangote in 2014
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| Born |
Aliko Dangote
10 April 1957 Kano, British Nigeria
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| Education | Government College, Birnin Kudu |
| Alma mater | Al-Azhar University |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Zainab Dangote
(m. 1977, divorced)Mariya Muhammad Rufai
(divorced) |
| Children | 4, including Halima |
| Relatives |
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Aliko Dangote (born 10 April 1957) is a very successful businessman from Nigeria. He is known for building the first private oil refinery in Nigeria. He is one of the richest people in the world and the wealthiest person in Africa.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Aliko Dangote was born on 10 April 1957 in Kano, which was then part of British Nigeria. He grew up in a rich Hausa Muslim family. His mother, Mariya Sanusi Dantata, was the daughter of a well-known businessman named Sanusi Dantata.
His great-grandfather, Alhassan Dantata, was the richest person in West Africa when he passed away in 1955. Aliko Dangote went to school at Sheikh Ali Kumasi Madrasa and Capital High School in Kano. He later studied business at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.
Building a Business Empire
Aliko Dangote started his business journey in 1977. He moved to Lagos to grow his small trading company, which later became the Dangote Group. He began by trading goods like cement, rice, and sugar. His uncle helped him start with a loan of ₦500,000.
In the 1990s, he even helped the Central Bank of Nigeria manage their staff buses. This showed his smart business ideas.
Dangote Group Today
Today, the Dangote Group is one of the biggest business groups in Africa. It operates in several countries, including Benin, Ghana, Zambia, and Togo. The company has grown from just trading to becoming a huge industrial group in Nigeria.
It includes major businesses like Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Cement, and Dangote Flour. The Dangote Group sells most of the sugar in Nigeria. Its sugar refinery is the main supplier for soft drink companies and bakeries. The company employs more than 11,000 people across West Africa.
Major Projects and Industries
In 2012, Dangote leased land at the Apapa Port to build facilities for his sugar company. This refinery is the largest in Africa and the third largest in the world. It produces 800,000 metric tons of sugar every year.
The Dangote Group also owns salt factories and flour mills. They import many goods like rice, fish, and fertilizer. They also export products such as cotton, cashew nuts, and cocoa to other countries. The company has big investments in real estate, banking, and oil and gas.
In 2022, Dangote opened a new car assembly plant in Nigeria. This factory, called Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited (DPAN), builds popular Peugeot car models.
A very important project is the Dangote Refinery, which opened in May 2023. This huge oil refinery is located in Lekki, Nigeria. It aims to turn Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, into a hub for exporting petroleum products. The refinery is supplied with crude oil through the world's longest sub-sea pipeline system.
Aliko Dangote dreams of using Africa's own raw materials, processing them, and selling them within Africa.
Wealth and Influence
Aliko Dangote became Nigeria's first billionaire in 2007. By 2013, he was the richest person in Africa and among the top 30 richest people globally. He continues to be the wealthiest person in Africa.
Other Activities
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
Dangote works with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on health issues. He has given large amounts of money to help people in need.
- In 2014, he donated ₦150 million ($750,000) to help Nigeria stop the spread of Ebola.
- In 2016, he promised $10 million to support Nigerians affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
- In 2020, he gave ₦200 million ($500,000) to help fight the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
Love for Football
Aliko Dangote is a big fan of the English football team Arsenal FC. He has even shown interest in buying the club. In 2019, he and another businessman, Femi Otedola, promised to give the Nigerian national football team $75,000 for every goal they scored in the Africa Cup of Nations. He also helped renovate Nigeria's national sports stadium in Abuja.
Personal Life
Aliko Dangote lives in Lagos, Nigeria. He is known for working very hard, often for 12 hours a day. He also stays fit by running on a treadmill almost every day.
He has three daughters, Halima, Mariya, and Fatimah, and an adopted son, Abdulrahman. His daughter Halima works as an executive director in his company.
Awards and Recognition
Aliko Dangote has received many awards and honors for his achievements.
- He was given Nigeria's second-highest honor, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).
- Forbes Africa named him Person of the Year in 2014.
- For six years in a row (2013-2018), Forbes called him the "Most Powerful Man in Africa".
- In 2014, Time magazine listed him among the 100 most influential people in the world.
- He was also listed among the "50 Most Influential Individuals in the World" by Bloomberg Markets in 2015.
- He won "The Guardian Man of the Year 2015" award.
- He received the "2016 African Business Leader Award".
- New African magazine has included him in their list of the top 100 most influential Africans multiple times.
Memberships
Dangote is part of several important groups and councils around the world. He is on the board of the Corporate Council on Africa. He is also a member of committees for the United Nations and the World Economic Forum. He helps lead the US-Africa Business Center. He is also on the board of the Clinton Health Access Initiative and One Campaign. In 2022, he became the founding Chairman of the Nigeria End Malaria Council.
See Also
In Spanish: Aliko Dangote para niños
- Dantata family
- List of Nigerians
- List of Hausa people
- List of Black billionaires
- List of Africans by net worth
