# Aliko Dangote

Aliko Dangote GCON (born 10 April 1957) is a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist best known as the founder of Dangote Group and the owner of Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest oil refinery and the world’s biggest single-train facility. Aliko has been the world’s wealthiest Black individual since 2011. As of 2025, he has an estimated net worth of US$28.3 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and US$24.0 billion according to Forbes.
Born in Kano to a wealthy Hausa family, he was educated in Kano, and was the great-grandson of Alhassan Dantata, the richest person in West Africa at the time of his death in 1955.

## Early life
### Family

Aliko Dangote was born on 10 April 1957, in Kano, Kano State, British Nigeria. His name "Aliko" was given to him by his maternal grandfather, Sanusi Dantata, which means "the victorious one who defends humanity". He is of Hausa ancestry. His mother, Mariya (née Dantata), was the daughter of a rich businessman. His father, Mohammed Dangote (died 1965), was a Nigerian businessman, who owns a transport company. Aliko has three siblings: Sani Dangote (1959/60–2021), who was a businessman and died of colorectal cancer; Bello, who died in a plane crash in 1996 alongside the son of the military head of state Sani Abacha; Garba, who died in 2013 after a stroke. Dangote was raised a Muslim.
Dangote's family are influential business people. Through his mother, he was the grandson of Sanusi Dantata, and the great-grandson of Alhassan Abdullahi Dantata. Alhassan was regarded as the richest person in West Africa during his own time until his death in 1955. He imported Kola nuts from Ghana, and exports groundnuts. After his father's death in 1965, Dangote donates his inheritance to charity. He cites his grandfather, Sanusi, and maternal uncle, Usman Amaka Dantata, as his paternal figures.

### Education

Dangote was educated at Sheikh Ali Kumasi Madrasa for his primary school and later finished at Capital High School, Kano. In 1978, he graduated from the Government College, Birnin Kudu, where he had his secondary education. He received a bachelor's degree in business studies and administration from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.
Dangote married Zainab in 1977. They later divorced at an unknown date. He married Mariya Muhammad Rufai and the couple divorced on an unknown date. During his early marriages, Dangote has three daughters: Halima, Mariya, and Fatimah. He also has an adopted son, Abdulrahman.

## Business career
### Early career

In 1977 Dangote relocated to Lagos and established a small company which he called the Dangote Group. He first received 500,000 naira loan from his uncle to begin trading in commodities, including bagged cement and agricultural products including rice and sugar. The company has been considered as one of the largest conglomerates in Africa, with industrial divisions: Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Cement, and Dangote Flour.

### Oil refinery

In July 2012, Dangote's request to the Nigerian Ports Authority to lease an abandoned land at Apapa Port was approved. In February 2022, he announced the completion of the Peugeot assembling facility in Nigeria following his partnership with Stellantis, the parent company manufacturers of Peugeot. Dangote became the owner of Dangote Refinery, the largest refinery in Africa. It was commissioned in 2023 In May 2024, Dangote, regarding the re-appropriation of energy resources in Africa said,
   My dream is to use raw materials from Africa, refine them and sell them on our own market.

## Legacy

Dangote became the first billionaire in Nigeria in 2007. In 2012 The Guardian wrote that he is the richest man in Africa and the richest black man in the world." According to Nigerian newspaper Vanguard, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index reports that Dangote's wealth increased by $9.2 billion in 2013. The 2015 Swiss Leaks revealed that he was a client of the British university Bank, HSBC, thereby having assets in the British Virgin Islands.
While serving as a member of NEMT, Dangote was awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. In April 2014, Time listed him among its 100 most influential people in the world. In 2015 Dangote was listed among "50 Most Influential Individuals in the World" by Bloomberg, the Guardian Man of the Year award, and was cited as one of the top 100 most influential Africans by London-based magazine, New African.
Dangote was named co-chair of the US-Africa Business Center in September 2016 by the United States Chamber of Commerce. he was appointed as the Chairman of the Nigeria End Malaria Council by Buhari in August 2022.

## Public image
### Accolades

Dangote was appointed by Goodluck Jonathan as member of his economic management team in 2011. In 2017, he denied the alleged run for Nigerian president in the 2019 election, and served on the special advisory committee for the reelection campaign of Muhammadu Buhari.
Dangote has worked alongside the Gates Foundation on public health issues. In August 2014, he donated 150 million naira to assist the Nigerian government's efforts of treating and preventing Ebola. In May 2016 he pledged $10 million to support Nigerians affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. In March 2020, he donated 200 million naira to fight against the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
Dangote is a fan of English football team Arsenal F.C. and showed interest in buying the club in 2019. In 2020, he made a donation to Nigeria's ministry of sports in order to help renovate the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.