UNEXPECTED SUPPORT! Otedola Surprises Dangote, Begs Tinubu To Do This For The Africa’s Richest Man
Nigeria’ s billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, has called on President Bola Tinubu’ s administration to extend robust support to Aliko Dangote, Africa’ s richest individual, akin to how countries like South Africa and India bolster their own economic champions. Otedola’ s plea, made in a detailed post on his X platform (formerly Twitter), comes amidst growing controversies surrounding the newly established Dangote refinery in Lagos and the Nigerian government’ s stance on it.
Otedola emphasized the critical role Dangote plays as Nigeria’ s largest private sector employer and one of its top taxpayers. Highlighting the immense economic contributions of Dangote’ s enterprises, Otedola noted that the Dangote Group often pays more in taxes than the country’ s leading banks combined. He underscored that without Dangote’ s pioneering efforts, Nigeria would still be heavily reliant on cement imports.
” My brother, the Visionary, has built the largest single- train refinery in the world, not in Kano, but in Lagos State, ” Otedola wrote. ” He owns the second- largest sugar refinery globally and the largest cement factory, both in Nigeria. Additionally, he has established one of the second- largest fertilizer plants in the world, which is soon to surpass the biggest one in Qatar. ” Otedola pointed out that Dangote’ s contributions extend beyond industrial facilities to critical infrastructure, such as major roads like the Apapa Oshodi- Oworonsoki Express Road, Wharf Road, and the Obajana- Kabba Road. These infrastructure projects are vital to Nigeria’ s economic development and daily operations.
” In India, business titans like Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani have received significant backing from the government, contributing to India’ s economic growth and global business footprint, ” Otedola noted. He also mentioned how emerging market countries like Vietnam, South Africa, Brazil, and China have provided crucial support to local businesses, fostering rapid industrialization and economic expansion. In his post, Otedola further highlighted the support today’ s tech giants, such as Microsoft and Tesla, received from the US government. He pointed to the $465 million loan granted to Tesla by the Department of Energy in 2010 to produce electric vehicles and develop manufacturing facilities as an example of strategic government backing.
” Similarly, governments in South Africa have been pivotal in maintaining the competitiveness of their mining industries, and Brazil has invested heavily in its agricultural sector, making it a leading food exporter. In China, government support has propelled companies like Huawei and Alibaba to global leadership in technology and e- commerce, ” Otedola explained. Otedola’ s message was clear: Nigeria must recognize and support its own economic titans to drive national development and economic independence. ” Aliko Dangote has broken every boundary in worldwide business and industry.
His contributions are not just a testament to his brilliance but a beacon of what is possible when vision meets opportunity, ” Otedola said. Supporting local champions like Dangote, Otedola argued, is crucial for Nigeria’ s progress. He called on the Tinubu administration to foster and support these visionaries, whose efforts are vital for the nation’ s economic growth and stability. By backing its leading business figures, Nigeria can ensure sustainable development and a more prosperous future for its citizens.
