Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest man with a net worth of $36.8 billion as of May 2026, began his entrepreneurial journey in 1977 with a $3,000 loan from his uncle. He started trading cement in Lagos, Nigeria, after graduating from college.
Dangote's conglomerate, Dangote Group, has expanded into sugar, salt, flour, and oil refining. His $19 billion Dangote Refinery in Lagos, which began operations in 2023, is the world's largest single-train refinery, capable of processing 650,000 barrels of oil per day.
The refinery aims to reduce Nigeria's dependence on imported fuel and reshape global energy markets. Dangote's success story is often cited as a model for African industrialization.
