President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has said having a male heir is not currently a priority for him, noting that he is content with the achievements of his three daughters.
Dangote, 69, made this known during an interview aired by Arise News on Tuesday while responding to a question about whether he still wanted a son to continue 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 billionaire businessman also said he did not believe a son would necessarily have performed better than his daughters, Mariya, Halima and Fatima.
“I don’t think a son would have done better than the three daughters I have,” Dangote said.
His comments come amid discussions about his succession plans and how his wealth will be managed in the future. In July, his daughter, Halima Dangote, a trustee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, revealed that the family had agreed to commit 33 per cent of his estate to philanthropy.
Dangote confirmed the arrangement during the interview, saying an agreement had already been signed to ensure that one-third of his wealth would be transferred to the Dangote Foundation after his death.
“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.
Forbes estimates Dangote’s net worth at $51.3bn.
The businessman also shared advice for young people hoping to succeed, urging them to work hard, remain consistent and focused, and avoid trying to rush the process.
“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 the early stages of his business career, Dangote recalled that he began as a distributor and started out by selling four trucks.
“I started business only selling four trucks as a distributor and not an importer,” he said.
Source: Arise News
