Vanguard Newspapers has bestowed the honour of ‘Personality of the Year’ on the president of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
The newspaper honoured men and women who have distinguished
themselves as achievers of excellence in their various fields of endeavors.
Justifying why Dangote topped other prominent Nigerians to
emerge as the Personality of the Year, the Vanguard Newspapers stated that, “no
Nigerian today has demonstrated more utilitarian determination and unmatched
ambition in business than he has. There is no individual referred to as
president, whose persona dwarfs that of the presidents of many nations, yet, he
is not the president of a nation. He has and continues to represent Africa very
well on the global stage.”
Vanguard further explained that “for 11 consecutive years,
he has been the richest man in Africa, according to both Forbes and Bloomberg
and that for him to be in charge of the largest conglomerate in West Africa, he
must possess some skills, a high level of intellect, and a capacity to manage
people and resources.”
It also said: “the group he founded currently has a presence
in 17 African countries and is the market leader in cement on the continent.
One of the group’s subsidiaries, Dangote Cement Plc, is the largest listed
company in West Africa and the first Nigerian company to join the Forbes Global
2000 Companies list.
“The group has two other subsidiaries: Dangote Sugar
Refinery and NASCON Allied Industries, both listed on the Nigerian Exchange
Limited (NGX). The Group is diversified and operates in major sectors of the
Nigerian economy, including agriculture.”