http://afripol.org/afripol/item/411-aliko-dangote-afripol-person-of-the-week.html
Aliko Dangote is the brainy Nigerian based entrepreneur, the founder, CEO and president of Dangote Group. He is an industrialist, a manufacturer of commodities principally food and cement. The head office of Dangote Group is in Lagos, Nigeria but company’s prowess is felt across Africa and beyond. Dangote can be described as the King of cement industry due to his vast, enormous and extensive investment in cement manufacturing throughout Africa.
No other Nigerian has done more than Alhaji Aliko Dangote for entrenchment, consolidation and promotion of capitalism, market economy and free enterprise particularly in Nigeria and Africa in general. With his industry, business acumen and dedication comes a great dividend and returns that has made Dangote the richest man in Nigeria and Africa. The world renowned capitalistic magazine Forbes has quantified his personal wealth at a tune of $10.1 billion and that is not bad at all for a person who started a business from a loan he got from an uncle. For his vanguard in business and investment in Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan awarded him Grand Commander Order of Niger,GCON, which he richly deserved and merit.
Forbes wrote that the "Nigerian commodities titan Aliko Dangote is also Africa’s cement king. In late 2010, he listed Dangote Cement on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The company integrated Dangote’s cement investments across Africa, including Benue Cement, formerly listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. It’s now the largest company on the Nigerian exchange, with a market capitalization of $10 billion. In August, Dangote received approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria to invest $4 billion to build a new cement facility in the Ivory Coast. He’s also building a $115 million cement plant in Cameroon, and owns plants in Zambia, Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa, among others. Dangote started trading commodities more than three decades ago after receiving a business loan from his uncle. He then built the Dangote Group – a leading West African conglomerate with interests in cement manufacturing, sugar refineries, flour milling and salt processing. Venerable philanthropist has given away millions to education, health and social causes."
The great thing about Aliko Dangote is his commitment to Nigeria and Africa. Most of his investments are in Africa and with that he has shown that Nigeria and other African countries can be lucrative for investments due to large returns from them. Dangote is the largest private employer of labour in the continent and jobs given has aided to slow down rampant unemployment facing Nigeria and Africa. This has given hope to the youths and has sown the seed of fruitfulness in the emerging economies of Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia and many others in Africa. Dangote can now become a tril blazer, a role model to aspiring business executive and many rich Africans that they can invest in Africa’s market. Dangote is the greatest rebranding that Nigeria needs because he has shown to the whole world by his handwork and patriotism that Nigeria and indeed Africa are ready for 21st century, that a century of innovations and possibilities can be spearhead by Nigerians and Africans.
For his unflinching patriotism, business commitment and investment in today and tomorrow’s Africa’s, the board and staff of Afripol Organization chose the business giant and magnate ALIKO DANGOTE AS THE PERSON OF THE WEEK.
Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center (Afripol) is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa. http://afripol.org/ strategist@afripol.org