Aliko Dangote

Aliko Dangote (; born 10 April 1957) is a Nigerian billionaire 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. As of August 13, Dangote is the 66th wealthiest individual in the world, the wealthiest black individual and the wealthiest individual in Africa, with a net worth estimated at over US$53.1billion per Bloomberg. 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 imported 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 and 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.