…says no son can perform better than his three daughters
Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, says he’s not bothered about having a son to inherit his business empire, as that is not a priority.
Rather, he said his three daughters are capable of taking over the Dangote Group.
The richest man in Africa stated this during an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday, expressing the hope that one of his daughters could eventually lead the conglomerate.
When asked if he could see one of his daughters taking charge of his business empire, Dangote said, “I think, yes, I can see one of them. I’ve been watching all of them, so I can definitely see one of the three that can actually lead.”
Dangote’s three daughters – Halima, Fatima and Mariya – hold senior positions within the conglomerate, with their roles expanding as the group continues to develop its succession structure.
The billionaire businessman said his daughters’ involvement in the family business was based on their personal interest rather than pressure from him.
“They are very, very interested in the business. I’m not forcing them to come and be part of this business, no. They are very interested, and they enjoy it,” he said.
Dangote said he believed his daughters could surpass his achievements and take the company to a higher level.
He added, “One of them can be better than — I never expected to perform this much.
“But I’m sure they’re highly educated; so they will be more creative. So, most likely, they might be even taking the company to the next level.”
Asked if he believed all three daughters were capable of achieving this, Dangote replied, “All of them.”
Regarding any hope of having a male heir, particularly given the traditional expectations surrounding such a child in his Kano home state, Dangote said that was not important to him.
He said, “Sometimes you can pray for God to give you a son, but that son might be the one to bring down the name of the family.
“Sometimes when God doesn’t give you something, don’t push. I don’t think a son would have done something better than these three daughters that I have. That one, I think, you know, it’s not my priority.”
Dangote stressed that having a male heir did not necessarily guarantee the preservation of a family legacy.
He added, “God controls everything. And for me, really, sometimes, yeah, you can pray for God to give you a son, but that son might be the one that would tear down the name of the family.
“So sometimes when God doesn’t give you something, don’t push.”
The billionaire businessman further stated, “Even if I had a son, I don’t think the son would have done better than these three daughters that I have.”
However, Dangote said his broader succession plan was not simply about transferring control of the conglomerate to a family member, but ensuring that the company was professionally managed.
“I want this company to be run professionally. I want to have the highest level of governance,” he said.
He cited global companies such as Microsoft and Apple as examples of businesses that had continued to thrive beyond their founders.
“We want to make sure that we make it very difficult for any family member to come and destroy anything,” Dangote said.
The businessman said his ultimate legacy was to contribute to the industrialisation of Africa.
He said, “What I want to leave as a legacy is to industrialise Africa.
“I cannot do it alone, but I’m 100% sure that in the next two or three years, other Africans will join.”
