Having a son isn’t my priority; my daughters have done better – Dangote

The president of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has said having a son is not a priority for him, arguing that his three daughters have demonstrated that a male heir is not necessary to preserve his family’s legacy.

Dangote, 69, made the remarks during an interview aired by Arise News on Tuesday, when he was asked whether he still wanted a son to carry on the family name.

“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.

The businessman said he was satisfied with the accomplishments of his three daughters Mariya, Halima and Fatima adding that he had no reason to believe a son would have performed better.

“I don’t think a son would have done better than the three daughters I have,” he said.

Dangote also addressed questions about succession and the future of his wealth, confirming that his family had agreed that one-third of his estate would be dedicated to philanthropy.

His daughter, Halima Dangote, a trustee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, had earlier disclosed that the family agreed to commit 33% of his estate to charitable causes.

Dangote said the arrangement had been formalised to ensure the money would be transferred to the foundation after his death and used to support people in need.

“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.

Dangote also offered advice to young people seeking success in business, urging them to work hard, remain focused and avoid pursuing too many ventures at once.

“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 years in business, Dangote said he began as a distributor operating with four trucks rather than as an importer.

“I started business only selling four trucks as a distributor and not an importer,” he said.