Business
Aliko Dangote Celebrates African Young Global Leaders
President, and Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, learned about the Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGLs) and the tremendous potential of this unique World Economic Forum community to develop the next generation of African leaders from all parts of society, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011 in Davos, Switzerland.
The Young Global Leaders programme is an accelerator for a dynamic community of exceptional young people from all over the world with the vision, courage, and influence to drive positive change in the world. This philosophy aligned neatly with Aliko Dangote’s vision for an Africa whose people are healthier, better educated, and more empowered through enhanced opportunities for social change through strategic investments that improve health and wellbeing, promote quality education and broaden empowerment opportunities for individuals and communities.
He, therefore, through Aliko Dangote Foundation, (ADF) partnered with the Forum to establish the Aliko Dangote African Fellowship programme to guarantee the full engagement of young African leaders from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and non-business entities who might otherwise not be able to participate in the Forum’s Young Global Leaders Community. The fellowship covers the cost of their participation at World Economic Forum and YGL-led events for 6 years for each Fellow.
Now in the twelfth year of collaboration with the WEF YGL programme, the Aliko Dangote (WEF Africa YGL) Fellows continue to represent the continent on the global stage and give back to their communities in a multiplicity of impactful ways. The partnership has ensured a richness in the diversity of the YGL community – adding an important African perspective, inspiring impact, and making sure that all voices have a chance to be heard where global decisions are debated, discovered, and made.
Since the start of the WEF YGL programme 20 years ago, the World Economic Forum nominates up to two hundred exceptional young leaders under 40 for a six-year period of membership. Following the partnership with Dangote 12 years ago, the programme has included 15-20 young leaders from sub-Saharan Africa following a rigorous selection process. At any one time, the African YGL Community consists of around eighty active members, 75% of whom are eligible for the Dangote Fellowship.
Fatima Aliko Dangote, ED Dangote Industries, expressed pride at the diversity and high proportion of female fellows in the 2023 Cohort, where the nine chosen YGLs represent the media/arts/entertainment, technology & innovation, health, and government sectors.
The ADF-YGL Lagos Convening which took place on September 8th, was an excellent opportunity for the participating current and alumni YGL Africa Fellows to meet and interact with their patron, Alhaji Aliko Dangote at the site of his most ambitious project to date; the multi-billion-dollars Petroleum complex at Lekki. They were able to interact with Alhaji Aliko Dangote and senior executives of Dangote Group and be inspired by his vision and engage in informal conversation about their journey as YGLs and the impact the community has had on their personal and professional development.
After a tour of the Fertilizer and the Refinery complex, the immensely impressed alumni’ were full of praise for their mentor, describing him as “the best hope for Africa”.
Aliko Dangote YGL Alum and Executive Director, of African Youth Initiative Network, Victor Ochen from Uganda, said he was extremely impressed with what he saw at the refinery and that the aggressive investment in the project has shown how much faith Aliko Dangote has in the African continent. While lauding Dangote’s investment drive, he also appreciated him for his generosity in providing financial means for him to participate in forum events he otherwise would have been unable to do.
According to him: “I am so happy with what Dangote is doing in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. This is a man that is investing in the youth through his foundation and employing tens of thousands of Africans, in his various plants. I am so humbled to be here, and to learn from the expertise of this man whom God has blessed our continent with…I thank Dangote for his generosity, which has provided many young African leaders, regardless of the country, the much-needed financial means to participate in YGL events. Without the support of ADF, our active participation would not have been possible.”
In the same vein, Fatoumata Ba from Senegal, said this trip to the Refinery has further fueled her ambition to put in all it takes into what she does and make Africa proud the way Dangote is doing. Ba, a Tech Entrepreneur & VC Investor is currently the Founder & Executive Chair of Janngo Capital and Chairwoman of the Board of Auchan in Africa. Explaining what she does and how YGL has impacted her positively, she said her company, Janngo is Africa’s largest gender equal tech fund and is backed by top-tier African & International strategic and financial investors; a journey that was made possible through her participation in the YGL programme.
She said: “Being a YGL has not only been a great opportunity to amplify our dreams but also an opportunity to promote a culture of peace and growth. We are committed to developing and representing Africa with integrity.”
Managing Director/CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), Zouera Youssoufou, thanked Dangote for his continuous support of the YGLs, and assured him that his investment is not in vain, as the young global leaders are achieving exploits in their respective fields and living up to the expectations of being true African future leaders.
Dangote encouraged the YGLs to put in their best in their various fields and not be discouraged when setbacks occur, because those are to be expected. He encouraged them to continue raising their ambition for our continent because “Nothing is Impossible”.
Business
33 Nigerian Banks Beat CBN’s Recapialisation with ₦4.65trn Combined Capital Base
The recapitalisation programme has strengthened the capital base of Nigerian banks, reinforcing the resilience of the financial system and ensuring it is wellpositioned to support economic growth and withstand domestic and external shocks.”
•Governor of CBN, Olayemi Cardoso
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has wrapped up the banking sector recapitalisation programme it introduced two years ago (March 2024-March 31, 2026) with 33 banks successfully met the requirements deadline.
The banks raised a total of ₦4.65 trillion in new capital, according to a statement signed by Olubukola A. Akinwunmi, the Director, Banking Supervision and Hakama Sidi Ali (Mrs.), the Ag. Director, Corporate Communications.
It said that the recapialisation exercises recorded strong participation from both domestic and international investors, with 72.55% of capital sourced locally and 27.45% from international markets, reflecting sustained confidence in the Nigerian banking sector.
The statement noted that the Governor of CBN, Olayemi Cardoso said “the recapitalisation programme has strengthened the capital base of Nigerian banks, reinforcing the resilience of the financial system and ensuring it is wellpositioned to support economic growth and withstand domestic and external shocks.”
“The CBN confirms that 33 banks have met the revised minimum capital requirements established under the programme.
A limited number of institutions remain subject to ongoing regulatory and judicial processes, which are being addressed through established supervisory and legal frameworks.
“All banks remain fully operational, ensuring continued access to banking services for customers.
African Export-Import Bank has underwritten $2.5 billion in a $4 billion senior syndicated term loan for Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, in a move aimed at strengthening the refinery’s financial position and supporting its long-term growth and expansion strategy.
The five-year facility, arranged alongside Access Bank as co-Mandated Lead Arrangers, is designed to consolidate existing debt, optimise the refinery’s capital structure and align its financing with current operational realities.
The transaction marks a significant milestone for the Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest refining and petrochemical complex with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
Afreximbank’s $2.5 billion participation represents the largest share of the syndicate, underscoring its strategic role in mobilising capital for industrial projects across the continent.
The bank said the financing aligns with its mandate to promote industrialisation, reduce reliance on imported petroleum products and deepen intra-African trade.
Since refining operations commenced in February 2024, Afreximbank has played a key role in supporting the project, including providing a $1 billion working capital facility and acting as financial adviser on the Naira-for-Crude initiative, which facilitates crude procurement and product sales in local currency.
Speaking during a strategy session in Cairo, Egypt, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, George Elombi, said the bank’s continued backing reflects confidence in indigenous African enterprises.
“We take immense pride in being the single largest provider of financing to the Dangote Group. We do so primarily because Dangote is African,” he said.
“When we invest in ourselves, we do more than create jobs and wealth or expand government revenues; we build a secure and resilient future for our continent”
Elombi disclosed that Afreximbank has committed about $15 billion to Dangote Group since 2015, highlighting the scale of its long-term partnership with the conglomerate.
President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, described the financing as a critical step in positioning the refinery for its next phase of expansion.
“This financing marks an important step in strengthening the financial foundation of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals and positions the business for the next phase of its growth,” he said.
“We appreciate Afreximbank’s continued support and confidence in our vision to build world-class industrial capacity that serves Nigeria, Africa and global markets.”
The syndicated loan attracted strong participation from a mix of African and international financial institutions, reflecting sustained investor confidence in the refinery as a transformative industrial asset in advancing Africa’s energy security, reducing import dependence and supporting the continent’s broader industrialisation agenda.
Business
BUA Foods Plc Reports Strong 2025 Performance with ₦1.77 Trillion Revenue, Proposes Record ₦28 Dividend per Share
Leading Nigerian food manufacturer BUA Foods Plc has announced robust full-year 2025 audited results, with revenue climbing 16% to ₦1.77 trillion from ₦1.53 trillion in 2024.
The growth was driven by sustained consumer demand for the company’s core staples sugar, flour, pasta, and rice alongside higher sales volumes and strategic pricing amid a challenging economic environment marked by inflationary pressures on households.
Profit after tax nearly doubled, rising 95% to ₦518.4 billion, while gross profit surged to ₦737.3 billion from ₦540.8 billion the previous year.
Operating profit also increased significantly to ₦656.6 billion.In a strong signal of confidence in its outlook and commitment to shareholder value, the Board of Directors has proposed a final dividend of ₦28 per ordinary share of 50 kobo.
This represents a 115% increase from the ₦13 per share paid in 2024, translating to a total payout of approximately ₦504 billion, subject to approval by shareholders at the company’s 2026 Annual General Meeting.
Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu highlighted the results, stating that the substantial dividend hike underscores the company’s dedication to rewarding investors while continuing to invest in business expansion and operational efficiency.
BUA Foods, a major player in Nigeria’s food processing sector controlled by billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu, has continued to benefit from scale advantages, market expansion, and resilient demand for essential food products despite broader economic headwinds.
The company’s shares have reacted positively in recent trading, reflecting investor optimism over the strong earnings and generous dividend proposal.
Full details of the financial statements were filed with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Monday.
Analysts view the performance as a testament to BUA Foods’ robust business model and ability to navigate Nigeria’s macroeconomic challenges through volume growth and cost discipline.
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