Profiles On Parade

Dangote Group is a business brand which has become synonymous with the name of its famous Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Aliko Dangote who was recently listed by Forbes’ magazine as the world’s 53^rd richest man. With headquarters in the commercial city of Lagos, Nigeria, Dangote Group that was started at a mushroom level in 1977, has grown like the mustard seed to become iconic in the African business landscape and a global force.  The company has began a pan – African business expansion to touch various lives in the continent.

 Having rooted deeply in the Nigeria soil, where the business and services of Dangote Group are felt in all nooks and crannies of this most populous African country, the company has taken giant strides to spread its tentacles to both Anglo and francophone African countries.  From Nigeria to Ghana, Togo, Zambia, Cameroon and Senegal where the company has commenced building a gigantic cement factory, Dangote Group known for its sugar, flour, cement and shipping businesses is on a major race to penetrate various African countries – mainly in the Sub-Saharan region. Much credit is given to the astute leadership of the company’s Chairman, Aliko Dangote and his management team.

 Aliko and his company has been on the business  radar of the continent for quiet a long time. Born in April 10, 1957 in Kano to Mohammed Dangote and Mariya Sanusi Dantata, Aliko, who earned a business degree from Al-Zhar University, Cairo seems to have acquired his strong  DNA for business from his mother’s family the Dantata and leadership quality from his father’s side.  Aliko, the Nigerian billionaire, and Africa’s most wealthiest man began early in life to carve his business niche. He is a visionary leader.  Alhaji Dangote has become one of the most powerful business and power broker in the region.

 As a philanthropist, this business mogul has received various honorary doctorate degrees from diverse Nigerian Universities, awards and recognitions from vagaries of institutions. Above all, he was confirmed with the national honor of the  “Order of the Niger” (OON) in 2000 and “Commander of the Order of Niger” (CON) in 2005 by President Olusegun Obasanjo..

 For the new golden feather that has been added on his cap as the 53^rd richest man in the world; and for his pan-African business development initiatives, astute leadership as the symbol of a new rising Africa, our editorial team agrees that Alhaji Aliko Dangote, deserves a good focus on our profiles on parade.

Interviewed by Sunny Lawrence–Oputa Publisher and CEO of Energy & Corporate Africa

Sunny Oputa speaking for Energy & Corporate Africa, Houston, Texas:  Engineer Yar’Adua, foremost, I want to thank you for granting this interview with me. Since you are about to leave for the airport to catch your flight back to Nigeria, I will try to limit this interview to ten minutes and concentrate on local content issues.

Yar’Adua:   Ten minutes as you said and only local content.

S. Oputa: How would you define Local Content?

Yar’Adua: My definition of Local Content will be in line of that of DPR.

[Local Content is defined by Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) as the quantum of composite value, either added to or created in the Nigerian economy through a deliberate utilization of Nigerian human resources, material resources and services in the exploration, development, exploitation, transportation and sales of Nigerian oil and gas resources. We strive to achieve it without compromising internationally accepted quality, health, safety and environmental standards. - Ed.]

S. Oputa:   How do you encourage local contractors to meet standards and be able to compete favorably with foreign contractors?

Yar’Adua: We monitor the work done by local contractors and encourage them to acquire more skills and training for their personnel. If a local contractor is identified to have experience, skill, adequate personnel, necessary equipment in a particular field, we will give support to the contractor to acquire more equipment and also give him a contract he will do for at least five years. In so doing, the local contractor will recover the initial investment on equipment purchase and also make reasonable profit.

Engineer and GMD of NNPC

Every generation has the potential to produce heroes and leaders, who will cast much-needed light towards the end of each dark tunnel.

Engineer Lawal Yar’Adua, the Acting Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) seems to be one of those torchbearers who can illuminate the path of NNPC and the dark alleys of Corporate Nigeria.

Since assuming office as the Acting GMD, of NNPC, Yar’Adua has proved himself to be a man who lives up to his words. He’s bold, assertive, committed and passionate about his job and the industry, which he knows like the palm of his hand.

Only weeks after his appointment Yar’Adua stunned the Nigerian people and the international community with his boldness. The NNPC's new henchman, like a gladiator, entered the coliseum and looked the tiger in the eye without fear and informed the Nigerian Senate in a public hearing that there were immense irregularities in the way Kaduna and Port Harcourt Refineries were sold.

Dr. Donald Kaberuka: an apostle of economic transformation...

Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President, African Bank Group is a man who understands the dynamics of African development and the need to facilitate growth in all sectors (human development, economic transformation, project management & financing). He is the 7^th elected President of the African Development Bank Group.

African Development Bank is the premier financial development institution of Africa, dedicated to combating poverty and improving the lives of the people of the continent and engaged in the task of mobilizing resources towards the economic and social progress of its Regional Member Countries. The bank’s mission is to promote economic and social development through loans, equity investments, and technical assistance.

Dr. Kaberuka, an apostle of economic transformation has a grip on the nascent Chinese relationship with Africa, and equates it properly with Africa’s existing ties with United States and Europe, thereby giving Africa a friendly global balance.