Aliko Dangote has said having a son to inherit his business empire is not a priority, insisting that his three daughters are capable of taking the Dangote Group to greater heights.
The 69-year-old billionaire stated this in an interview with ARISE News, monitored by The News Chronicle, in which he said he had watched his daughters develop within the business and believed one of them could eventually lead the conglomerate.
Asked whether he could see one of his daughters becoming the next leader of the group, Dangote said, “I think, yes, I can see one of them.”
“I’ve been watching all of them, so I can see definitely one of the three that can actually lead.”
Dangote’s daughters, Halima, Fatima and Mariya, hold senior positions across the conglomerate, with their responsibilities expanding as the group strengthens its succession structure.
According to Dangote, their involvement in the business was driven by their personal interest rather than pressure from him.
“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 also expressed confidence that his daughters could surpass his achievements and take the company to a higher level.
“One of them can be better than — I never expected to perform this much,” Dangote said.
“But 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.”
Asked if he believed all three daughters had the potential to succeed him, Dangote replied, “All of them.”
The billionaire also addressed whether he still desired a son, particularly given the traditional expectations surrounding male heirs in Kano society.
“That one, I think, you know, it’s not my priority. God controls everything. And for me, really, sometimes, yeah, you can pray for God to give you a son, but that son might be the one that would tear down the name of the family.”
“So sometimes when God doesn’t give you something, don’t push.”
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Dangote added, “Even if I had a son, I don’t think the son would have done better than these three daughters that I have.”
He said his focus was not simply on transferring ownership of the conglomerate to a family member but on ensuring that the company remained professionally managed.
“I want this company to be run professionally,” he said. “I want to have the highest level of governance.”
Citing global companies such as Microsoft and Apple, Dangote said businesses should be structured to survive beyond their founders.
“We want to make sure that we make it very difficult for any family member to come and destroy anything,” he said.
Dangote said his broader ambition was to leave behind a legacy of industrialisation across Africa.
“What I want to leave as a legacy is to industrialise Africa. I cannot do it alone, but I’m 100% sure in the next two, three years, other Africans will join.”
