Precious Anga
Lagos — Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has said he wants to be remembered for helping to industrialise Africa rather than for the size of his personal fortune.
Dangote made the remarks during an interview with entrepreneur and content creator James Dumoulin, where he reflected on his business journey, wealth and long-term vision for the continent.
According to him, wealth creation is no longer his primary motivation, stressing that his focus has shifted to building industries capable of transforming African economies.
“I have actually passed the stage of just doing business to make money. I want to leave a legacy. I want to be remembered as somebody who has industrialised Africa,” Dangote said.
The billionaire businessman, whose investments span cement, sugar, fertiliser, salt and petroleum refining, argued that sustainable industrial development remains critical to Africa’s economic future.
Speaking on his net worth, Dangote appeared to downplay estimates by international wealth trackers, suggesting that the true value of his holdings is higher because several of his major businesses remain privately owned and are not yet fully reflected in public market valuations.
“What are they saying? I don’t really look at those things. They say I’m worth $38 billion, but most of our businesses are not listed yet,” he said.
He added that the value of those assets would become clearer in the future, noting: “It will come out soon.”
Dangote also used the opportunity to promote Africa as a major investment destination, describing the continent as the future of global economic growth. He pointed to Africa’s youthful population, noting that about 70 per cent of its people are under the age of 30, while the population is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050.
“The real future is Africa,” he stated.
Current estimates place Dangote’s wealth at more than $30 billion, although analysts have noted that major assets such as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the group’s fertiliser business remain privately held, making their full market value difficult to determine.
During the interview, Dangote disclosed that his companies generated about $10 billion in revenue during the first quarter of the year, underscoring the scale of the conglomerate’s operations across multiple sectors.
His comments come amid growing speculation that the Dangote refinery could eventually be listed on the stock market. Market observers believe such a move could rank among the largest capital market transactions in Africa and significantly increase the valuation of the group’s assets.
On a personal note, Dangote also spoke about his faith, saying his life experiences have strengthened his belief in God.
“If I look at myself, I know that God is real,” he said.
