EntrepreneurNigeria

Aliko Dangote

You can't build a business sitting down in an office.

The Story of a Life

Aliko Dangote is Africa's richest person and one of the most significant industrialists the continent has ever produced. Starting from a trading business in Lagos, he built the Dangote Group into a conglomerate spanning cement, sugar, flour, salt, and oil refining. His Dangote Cement is the largest cement producer in Africa. The Dangote Refinery in Lagos will be the world's largest single-train petroleum refinery with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day — a project largely self-funded to reduce Africa's dependence on imported fuel.

The Milestones

Achievements
01

Africa's richest person (Forbes, multiple years)

02

Dangote Group — $20+ billion conglomerate

03

Dangote Cement — largest cement producer in Africa

04

650,000 bpd Dangote Refinery (Lagos)

2014

Forbes Africa Person of the Year (2014)