Top businessman, Chief Femi Otedola, has called the richest man in Africa, who is the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, a titan, while urging support for him.
Dangote’s contribution which, he noted, extends beyond industrial facilities to critical infrastructure, must be recognized and supported by everyone.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Otedola, who emphasized the need for the government to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country, also spoke in defence of Dangote in a post on X on Tuesday.
Allegations that a cabal has been frustrating efforts by the Dangote Refinery to become fully operative had made the top businessman been in the news since a few days ago.
Last week, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority also said the Federal Government has not given the Dangote refinery the required license to begin operations in the country.
Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, who disclosed this while talking to journalists at the State House on July 18, 2024, said allegations that efforts are being made to hinder Dangote refinery from becoming fully operative due to lack of supply of crude oil by International Oil Companies are not true.
Ahmed added that the diesel produced by the new refinery is below international standard.
Chief Femi Otedola however on Tuesday described Dangote as a ‘titan who God specially created for mankind’..
‘In Nigeria, we have our own titans, and it is imperative that we recognize and support them. Aliko Dangote has broken every boundary in worldwide business and industry. His contribution is not just a testament to his brilliance but a beacon of what is possible when vision meets opportunity.
Supporting local champions like Dangote is crucial for our national development and economic independence. Let us continue to foster and support these visionaries who drive our nation’s progress.
My brother, the visionary, has built the largest single train refinery in the world, not in Kano, but in Lagos state. He is the owner of the second-largest sugar refinery in the world, also in Lagos state, and the largest cement factory in the world, not in Kano, but in Kogi state. Additionally, he has established one of the second-largest fertilizer plants in the world, soon to surpass the biggest one in Qatar, also in Lagos state. Furthermore, he has built a fertilizer plant in Lagos that already exports globally. Aliko Dangote is a titan who God created specially for mankind.
Aliko Dangote is also the largest private sector employer of labor in the country, and his companies are among the largest taxpayers. In fact, the Dangote Group often pays more in taxes than the top banks combined. If not for him, we would still be importing cement’ he submitted.
Chief Otedola added that Dangote’s contribution goes beyond industrial facilities to critical infrastructure, having built major roads including Apapa Oshodi-Owonrosoki Express Road, Wharf Road, and the Obajana-Kabba Road.
‘Countries in the nascent stages of industrialization require visionary leaders. This is why it’s no surprise that the United States was built by the vision and tenacity of a few remarkable individuals—Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and Henry Ford—The men who built America’s industrial landscape. These men left the world without these assets but left behind a legacy that has kept their country thriving generation after generation. Their contributions were immortalized not in the material wealth they amassed but in the enduring institutions and industries they established. These visionaries were also supported by their government, which recognized the importance of fostering local champions.
Similarly, today’s tech giants like Microsoft and Tesla received substantial support from the US government. For example, in January 2010, the Department of Energy issued a $465 million loan to Tesla Motors to produce specially designed, all-electric plug-in vehicles and to develop a manufacturing facility in Fremont, California to produce battery packs, electric motors, and other power train components for powering these innovative vehicles. This initiative is part of broader efforts, such as the federal EV-charging program supported by the infrastructure law known as the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure programme, or NEVI.
In India, the government has been instrumental in supporting business titans like Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. Their companies have received significant backing to grow and expand, contributing substantially to India’s economic growth and global business footprint. There are also records of emerging market countries like Vietnam, South Africa, Brazil, and China where their governments have supported local businesses to jump-start industrialization. In Vietnam, the government has provided various incentives to tech companies, fostering a rapidly growing technology sector. In South Africa, government support for the mining industry has been crucial in maintaining its global competitiveness. Brazil has seen substantial government investment in its agricultural sector, transforming it into one of the world’s leading food exporters. In China, government backing for companies like Huawei and Alibaba has propelled them to global leadership in technology and e-commerce’ he added-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
