Dangote Named Among Greatest Global Leaders

Foremost philanthropist and richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote, has been rated 11th of the 50 World’s Greatest Leaders for 2019.

The rating carried out by the Fortune Magazine, an American multinational business magazine headquartered in New York City, United States, was released recently and focused mainly on the businesses run by the men and how they have used it to impact their society positively.

The time-tested magazine, which first edition was published in February 1930, said the world’s greatest leaders, both men and women, are transforming the world and inspiring others to do so in business, government, philanthropy, and the arts.

“These thinkers, speakers, and doers make bold choices and take big risks – and move others to do the same,” the magazine declared.

This is the first time Fortune magazine is recognizing and including Aliko Dangote in the annual ranking.

Specifically, Dangote, having popped up in the magazine’s radar, earned nomination after being adjudged as having used business to acquire wealth and who is now converting his wealth into impactful philanthropy through his Aliko Dangote Foundation.

The top 10 greatest men and women, according to Fortune, are: Bill and Melinda Gates, Jacinda Ardem (Prime Minister, New Zealand), Robert Mueller (Special Counsel, Department of Justice), Pony Ma (Founder and CEO, Tencent), Satya Nadella (CEO, Microsoft), Greta Thunberg (student and climate activist, Sweden), Margrethe Vestager (Commissioner for Competition, European Union), Anna Nimiriano (Editor-in-Chief, Juba Monitor), Jose Andres (Chef/Founder, World Central Kitchen), and Dough Mcmillon and Lisa Woods (CEO, Senior Director, Strategy & Design for U.S. Benefits, Walmart).

The ranking of Dangote as one of the greatest business leaders has attracted comments by eminent persons around the world who described him as worthy of the nomination, going by his business acumen and philanthropic gestures.

Global business giant and founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gate extolled the efforts of Dangote in making businesses play roles in provision of sound public health through his various interventions in healthcare issues, especially in the fight against malnutrition and routine polio.

Gates, who himself was ranked along with Dangote, said: “Aliko Dangote, through his leadership at the Aliko Dangote Foundation, is a key partner in the polio eradication effort, strengthening routine immunisation and fighting malnutrition in Nigeria and across Africa. Aliko bridges the gap between private business and public health in a unique way and our shared belief that Nigeria will thrive when every Nigerian is able to thrive drives our partnership.”

Renowned activist and co-founder of ONE, Paul David Hewson, popularly called Mr. Bono, said he was not surprised at Mr. Dangote’s feat globally, saying his vision was as big as the African continent.

Bono, a global campaigner on taking action to end extreme poverty, especially in Africa, said: “Aliko has a vision just the size of his continent, but with humility of somebody who has just started his first job. It’s no surprise to me that Fortune would recognise his leadership because we have seen first-hand, through his service on ONE’s Board, the benefits of his wise counsel and grace.”

Also, the popular economic analyst, Mr. Bismark Rewane, stated that “Aliko remains understated but very potent and Africa’s most successful and decorated entrepreneur. He is a global financial and managerial behemoth.”

Dangote as the Africa’s richest – worth $16.4 billion, according to Bloomberg – and the four publicly traded companies under the umbrella of his Dangote Industries now account for about a third of the value of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

That wealth is based on a big bet on Nigeria’s economic independence: Dangote’s peers give him credit for helping the country become self-sufficient in the sectors in which his companies compete (cement, agriculture, and mining).

The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) is the philanthropic endeavour of Aliko Dangote. The main objective of the Foundation is to reduce the number of lives lost to malnutrition and disease. The Foundation is poised to combat Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in children as the core of its programming.

It has also resolved to use its investments in health, education, and economic empowerment to help lift people out of poverty.

It would be recalled that Dangote was last year ranked among 75 most powerful persons on the planet, ahead of the Vice-President of the United States of America, Mike Pence.

Aliko Dangote has been named among most powerful persons in the world for the past five consecutive years. According to the Forbe’s 2018 ranking of the World Powerful People, Dangote ranked among world leaders like Xi Jinping, the Chinese President; Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, and Donald Trump, the President of the US, all of whom were ranked first, second, and third, respectively.

He was the only Nigerian on the list and one of the only two Africans who made the list with the other being the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who was ranked 45th most powerful.

In the same vein, he was named among the 100 most influential personalities in the world in 2018 by Time Magazine, leading business broadcast organisation.

The CNBC had earlier in the same year ranked Dangote as one of the 25 people which have had most profound impact on business and finance worldwide.