Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Monday, stated that Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote had nothing when he arrived in the state from Kano 45 years ago.
Sanwo-Olu said this at the opening of the Dangote Refinery at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
Aliko Dangote, born into a prominent business family in Kano, on April 10, 1957, is the grandson of Alhaji Alhassan Dantata, one of the richest Africans of his time.
The governor, however, commended the business mogul on the opening of the refinery.
He said, “A young Nigerian 45 years ago who came to Lagos all the way from another mega city in our country, Kano. Who saw the prosperity, the diversity in our country, Who came with nothing 45 years ago but has now built the biggest empire in the world for Africa.”
With an eye for business since childhood, Dangote engaged himself in buying and selling early in life.
According to him: “I can remember when I was in primary school, I would go and buy cartons of sweets (sugar boxes) and I would start selling them to make money. I was so interested in business, even at that time”.
The Dangote Refinery complex is located in the Lekki Free Zone area of Lagos. The refinery is the biggest in Africa and also the biggest single-train refinery in the world.
Kanyi Daily earlier reported that Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, six presidents, president-elect, Bola Tinubu, Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and others attended the refinery inauguration.