Dangote: I don’t need a son to inherit my empire

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has said having a male heir to take over his business empire is not a priority, insisting that any of his three daughters could successfully lead the Dangote Group.

Dangote made the remarks during an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday, saying he had confidence in the abilities of his daughters, Halima, Fatima and Mariya.

Asked whether he could see one of them eventually taking charge of the conglomerate, 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.”

He said his daughters were already interested in the family business and had not been pressured into joining it.

“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.

“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,” he said.

Asked whether all three daughters were capable of leading the business, he replied, “All of them.”

On whether he still hoped to have a son, particularly given traditional expectations surrounding male heirs in Kano, Dangote said it was not important to him.

He argued that having a male heir did not automatically guarantee the preservation of a family’s legacy.

“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,” he said.

Dangote added that he did not believe a son would necessarily have performed better than his daughters.

“I don’t think a son would have done something better than these three daughters that I have. That one, I think, it’s not my priority,” he said.

Beyond family succession, Dangote said his main concern was to ensure that the conglomerate was run professionally and protected by strong corporate governance.

“I want this company to be run professionally. I want to have the highest level of governance,” he said.

He cited companies such as Microsoft and Apple as examples of businesses that had continued to thrive beyond their founders.

Dangote said his succession plan was designed to prevent any family member from undermining the business.

“We want to make sure that we make it very difficult for any family member to come and destroy anything,” he said.

The businessman said his broader ambition was to contribute to Africa’s industrialisation.

“What I want to leave as a legacy is to industrialise Africa,” he said, adding that he expected other Africans to join the effort in the coming years.