Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he supported Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote in building his business within and outside Nigeria.
Speaking at the Bauchi State Economic and Investment Summit on Wednesday, Mr Obasanjo said he ensured an enabling environment for Dangote to establish his cement factory in Nigeria before introducing him to other African countries.
According to him, after Dangote planned to produce five million tons of cement annually, officials in the Ministry of Industry doubted the target.
Obasanjo said he monitored the project closely through reports from his representatives at the construction site.
“So one day Aliko came to me and said, ‘Mr President, I’m getting worried about you. You know about this cement project more than myself, and it’s not a government project.’ I told him, ‘This is a Nigerian project, and anything Nigerian is a government project,’” Obasanjo said.
He added that Dangote later exceeded the initial production target and expanded his operations to other African countries.
“Not only did Aliko succeed in the first five million, he succeeded in the second five million and the third five million. I started taking him to other countries in Africa. I took him to Tanzania, I took him to Senegal. That’s how Aliko made it, partnership between the private and public sectors, and between leadership at every level.”
Dangote Cement Plc, a subsidiary of Dangote Industries Limited, is the largest cement producer in Africa with operations in 10 countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Africa.
The company’s Obajana Plant in Kogi State is one of the largest cement plants in the world, with an annual production capacity of over 16 million metric tonnes.
Dangote Group also has major investments in sugar, salt, fertiliser, oil refining and infrastructure, contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economy and employment.
