North Has What It Takes to Be Great — Dangote

Africa’s richest man urges Northern leaders to fix power, craft stable policies and prioritise education, agriculture, industry at ACF 25th Anniversary

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Africa’s wealthiest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has declared that Northern Nigeria has all it needs to become a thriving economic bloc, but warned that the region must urgently confront insecurity, policy inconsistencies and the collapse of industrial and agricultural systems that once powered its economy.

Speaking at the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) 25th Anniversary Dinner and Awards Night during a fireside chat moderated by Arise News Director of News, Somna Shagarisambo, Dangote said the North can feed the entire West African region and reposition itself for global competitiveness if leaders commit to coherent policies and long-term development planning.

The business mogul, introduced as “the pride of the black race” and “the illuminating star of northern Nigeria,” told a packed hall of former vice presidents, governors, legislators, industrialists and traditional rulers that Nigeria’s industrial path remains blocked by two persistent obstacles: inconsistent government policies and lack of reliable electricity.

Dangote recounted his transition from trading in the late 1970s into industrialisation, a journey he described as “difficult but necessary.”

According to him, trading offers no sustainable future because generational succession is weak and scale is limited. After studying why many iconic Nigerian business families failed, Dangote said he invited Arthur Andersen (now part of KPMG) to advise his team.

Two issues emerged at the 1995 retreat, he said: unstable policies and poor power supply. “These two are still existing,” he noted, adding that the Dangote Group does not connect any of its industries to Nigeria’s power grid because it is too unreliable.

“There is no way you can have growth without electricity,” he warned.

Dangote aligned with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s call for education, agriculture and industry as the pillars for a Northern revival.

“We have what it takes to be great,” he said. “In the North, we should not only feed Nigeria; we should feed the West African region.”

He insisted that banditry, kidnapping and insecurity have deep economic roots that can only be resolved by job creation and mass agricultural and industrial expansion.

“If we had concentrated on agriculture, industrialisation and education, we wouldn’t be having these issues. We are all to blame,” he said.

Beyond the ACF celebration, Dangote urged Northern leaders political, traditional and business, to hold a two-day retreat focused solely on solving insecurity, joblessness and structural stagnation.

“Insecurity will not go away by force. It will subside for a while, but it will come back because it has become a big industry,” he warned.

He illustrated the danger by explaining how young people, driven by economic desperation, drift into kidnapping: “If your son asks you for ₦100 million, you will say he’s crazy. But if he kidnaps you, you will pay a billion.”

Asked why numerous summits and policy retreats yield little change, Dangote responded bluntly: implementation is the problem.

He cited the unfulfilled Vision 2010 programme under General Sani Abacha, saying Nigeria especially the North, would be far more advanced today if those recommendations had been carried out.

“We need to stop complaining. If Ethiopia could transform into a beautiful, functional country, then northern Nigeria has no excuse,” he said.

He also stressed that foreign investors will not come until domestic investors are encouraged. “Domestic investment attracts foreign investment,” he said.

Responding to questions about his billion-dollar ventures in other African countries, including Zimbabwe, Dangote listed significant investments already made in northern Nigeria: Obajana Cement, Benue Cement, Over ₦300 billion in rice processing and power-boiling facilities, Peugeot assembly operations in Kaduna, which he said he established “out of passion” but never visited, A planned $500 million dairy project that was later undermined when milk import duties were slashed to 5 percent.

He added that inconsistent policies especially sudden tariff reductions discourage large-scale investments.

Dangote urged the North to focus on: Reliable power supply, A robust agricultural policy, A clear industrial policy.

“These must be crafted jointly by the National Assembly and the executive,” he said.

Dangote said kidnappers and bandits are often young people who simply have nothing to do, insisting the only lasting solution is to restore the economic engines that traditionally absorbed youth labour.

“When we create jobs, insecurity will go away. If we don’t create jobs, the insecurity will multiply year by year,” he warned.

The moderator highlighted figures from the massive Dangote Refinery,  built on 2,735 hectares, requiring 65 million cubic metres of sand and at peak employing 67,000 workers.

Dangote responded that the North will soon feel the impact of similarly ambitious initiatives. Between Nassarawa and Savannah Sugar, he said, the region will produce over 500,000 tonnes of sugar within the next three years, creating thousands of jobs.

He also revealed plans for a major, yet-to-be-announced national project and a Dangote Foundation programme that will sponsor 200,000 students annually across various stages of education over the next four years.

“I don’t want to release the cat out of the bag yet,” he said, “but what we are bringing is very, very huge.”

SPONSORED

SPONSORED

SPONSORED