The President and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has pledged to continue positively impacting the lives of Nigerians. He made this promise while receiving his Letter of Award as LEADERSHIP Person of the Year 2024 at the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos.
The award was presented on Wednesday by Azu Ishiekwene, the Senior Vice Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the LEADERSHIP Group. Ishiekwene explained that the award recognizes individuals with the most significant impact on Nigeria and its citizens within a given year. He noted that the panel, led by Chairman Zainab Nda-Isaiah, unanimously chose Dangote, particularly for his contributions to the economy through the commencement of production at the Dangote Refinery in 2023.
In his acceptance speech, Dangote, Africa’s richest man, expressed gratitude for the recognition. “It is commendable when hard work is acknowledged,” he said. Reflecting on his legacy, he added, “If I had chosen to play in stocks, my worth might have exceeded $100 billion by now. But I’m proud of the legacy projects we’ve undertaken. I deeply appreciate this honor.”
Ishiekwene emphasized the media’s dual role in holding power accountable and celebrating excellence, calling the award a token of recognition for Dangote’s achievements.
Dangote, accompanied by Chief Corporate Communications Officer Anthony Chiejina, affirmed his commitment to attending the award ceremony, saying, “I will attend wherever it holds; you can take that from me.”
The event, scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, in Abuja, will feature Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima as the special guest of honor. Shettima will deliver the keynote address titled Challenges and Opportunities in Nigeria’s Fiscal Federalism.
