Meet Our Founder
His Story: Humble Beginnings to African Industrial Giant
Aliko Dangote was born on April 10, 1957, in Kano State, Nigeria, into a wealthy Hausa Muslim family. From a young age, he displayed a remarkable interest in business. He often tells the story of selling boxes of sweets to his classmates as a child — not for fun, but because the spirit of enterprise had already taken root in him.
In 1977, after completing his business studies at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, Dangote borrowed a modest loan from his uncle to start a small trading firm. With an ambitious mind and tireless work ethic, he began importing commodities like rice, sugar, and cement into Nigeria. That modest trading outfit would later evolve into Dangote Group, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate with a presence in over 10 African countries.
What began as a local business became a vehicle for transforming Africa’s economy. Dangote did not just want to trade goods — he wanted to produce them locally, creating value, jobs, and pride in African-made products.
His Legacy: Building Industries, Touching Lives
Today, Dangote Group stands as a symbol of African self-reliance and industrial might. From cement factories and sugar refineries to the largest oil refinery in Africa, Aliko Dangote has laid down a legacy that will endure for generations.
Cement Empire: Dangote Cement is the largest cement producer in Sub-Saharan Africa, with plants in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Senegal, South Africa, and more. It has made housing and infrastructure more affordable across the continent.
Dangote Refinery: The massive oil refinery in Lekki, Lagos is a game-changing project expected to drastically reduce Nigeria’s dependence on fuel imports and save billions in foreign exchange.
Job Creation: Through his factories and supply chains, millions of Africans are directly and indirectly employed.
Aliko Dangote Foundation: Established to tackle poverty, hunger, disease, and education gaps. It has funded programs on maternal health, emergency response, nutrition, and more — making it one of the largest private philanthropic organizations in Africa.
His legacy is not just in the industries he built, but in the hope he gave to millions — showing that Africans can dream big and build even bigger.
His Vision: Africa for Africans
Aliko Dangote has always believed that Africa’s prosperity must come from within. His business philosophy centers around producing what Africans consume — locally and at scale.
He envisions:
A self-reliant Africa, where countries are not dependent on foreign aid or imports
An industrialized continent, with robust manufacturing and supply chains
Job creation for youth, tackling unemployment through innovation and entrepreneurship
Trade within Africa, promoting partnerships through initiatives like the AfCFTA
Sustainable development, by investing in renewable energy, efficient logistics, and green production
“I built a business empire because I believed Africa could be more than just a continent that consumes what others produce. We can manufacture, we can export, and we can grow from within.”
— Aliko Dangote