Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and Nigeria’s most prominent industrialist, turns 68 today, April 10, 2025. The billionaire businessman, known for his sharp business instincts and enormous contributions to Nigeria’s economy, is being celebrated across the country and beyond for a lifetime of achievement and enterprise.
Born in the ancient city of Kano on April 10, 1957, Dangote came into the world already surrounded by wealth and influence. He hails from a respected Hausa-Muslim family with deep roots in commerce. His mother, Mariya Sanusi Dantata, was the granddaughter of Alhassan Dantata, a legendary merchant who was once the wealthiest man in West Africa. His father, Mohammed Dangote, was also a successful businessman and a trusted associate of Alhassan Dantata.
Dangote’s love for business began early. In interviews, he has often shared stories of how he started selling sweets as a young boy in primary school just to make extra money. “Even at that time, I was so interested in business,” he once said.
He later travelled to Cairo, Egypt, where he studied Business Studies at the prestigious Al-Azhar University, the oldest existing university in the world. Upon his return to Nigeria, his uncle, Alhaji Abdulkadir Sanusi Dantata, gave him a loan of $3,000 to start his own business at the age of 21.
That small loan marked the beginning of what would become one of the biggest business empires in Africa.
In 1977, Dangote began trading in commodities and building materials in Kano. His success encouraged him to move to Lagos later that year, where he expanded his operations. By 1981, he had incorporated two new companies under what is now known as the **Dangote Group**.
From a small trading firm, the Dangote Group has grown into a multi-trillion-naira conglomerate. It operates not just in Nigeria but also in several African countries including Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo, Zambia, Cameroon, and South Africa. The Group has interests in cement, sugar, salt, flour, packaging, real estate, and, more recently, oil and gas.
Dangote’s business success has not been accidental. He is widely known for his ability to see opportunities where others see problems. One famous example is his decision to lease an abandoned plot of land at the Apapa Port in Lagos. While others ignored the area, Dangote saw the potential and built facilities for his flour business there. Some competing companies tried to oppose the deal, but the then chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Olabode George, defended the decision, saying Dangote was the first to come up with the idea.
In another bold move, Dangote approached the Central Bank of Nigeria in the 1990s with a proposal to manage the Bank’s staff transport system. He argued that his transport company could run the staff buses more efficiently and at a lower cost than the Bank was spending at the time. The Bank agreed, and the deal helped further boost his business reputation.
Today, Aliko Dangote is best known for his flagship company, Dangote Cement which is the largest cement producer in Africa. The company has helped reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported cement and created thousands of jobs for Nigerians.
In addition to his business achievements, Dangote has also made major contributions to philanthropy and national development. Through the Dangote Foundation, he has donated billions of naira to health care, education, disaster relief, and food security. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation played a vital role in providing testing kits, building isolation centers, and supporting frontline workers.
In recent years, Dangote has shifted his focus to industrializing Nigeria’s economy. His most ambitious project to date is the **Dangote Refinery**, located in the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos. The refinery, once fully operational, is expected to be one of the largest in the world and has the potential to make Nigeria self-sufficient in petroleum products. It will also save the country billions of dollars in fuel imports and could eventually turn Nigeria into a net exporter of refined petroleum products.
Despite his enormous success, Dangote is known for his simplicity and discipline. He avoids unnecessary public attention and focuses on his work. He has never been one to boast about his wealth, though he is regularly ranked by Forbes and Bloomberg as one of the world’s richest men.
As he celebrates his 68th birthday today, Alhaji Aliko Dangote remains a shining example of what is possible through hard work, vision, and determination. From humble beginnings in Kano to the boardrooms of Africa’s largest companies, his story continues to inspire millions of Nigerians, especially young entrepreneurs who see in him a symbol of possibility.
In a country where many businesses struggle to survive, Dangote’s journey is a reminder that with the right mix of ideas, courage, and discipline, greatness is achievable.
As tributes pour in from across the nation, many Nigerians are not just celebrating a birthday—they are honouring a legacy that has changed the face of Nigerian business forever.
Happy Birthday, Aliko Dangote.
