By Opeemi Adelakun
President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has said having a male heir is not a priority for him, expressing satisfaction with the achievements of his three daughters.
The 69-year-old billionaire made the remarks during an interview aired by Arise News on Tuesday while responding to a question about whether he still wanted a son to carry on the family name.
Dangote said he had left such matters to God, arguing that having a male child did not necessarily guarantee the preservation or success of a family legacy.
“That is not my priority because God controls everything. You can pray for God to give you a son, but he might be the one to take down the name of the family. Sometimes, when God doesn’t give you something, don’t push,” he said.
He said his daughters — Mariya, Halima and Fatima — had performed well and that he did not believe a son would necessarily have achieved more than they had.
“I don’t think a son would have done better than the three daughters I have,” Dangote said.
His comments come amid renewed attention to his succession plans and the future of his vast business empire.
Dangote also confirmed that his family had signed an agreement committing one-third of his wealth to the Dangote Foundation after his death.
“It’s a paper that we’ve signed an agreement that in case anything happens, because I won’t live forever, that one-third belongs to Dangote Foundation, and the foundation should pass that money to people,” he said.
The arrangement was earlier disclosed by his daughter, Halima Dangote, a trustee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
Forbes estimates Dangote’s net worth at $51.3bn.
Speaking about success and entrepreneurship, Dangote advised young people to remain focused, disciplined and patient in pursuing their goals.
“Work hard, be consistent, focused and know what you want to do. You can’t be a jack of all trades; concentrate, you will get there, and don’t be too much in a hurry,” he said.
Reflecting on his early business career, Dangote said his journey began on a relatively modest scale as a distributor.
“I started business only selling four trucks as a distributor and not an importer,” he said.
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