Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has been named the 2024 African Business Icon of the Year by Champion Newspapers.
The disclosure was made in a statement on Tuesday by Tunde Oladipo, Group Branding Lead, Dangote Industries Limited, who received the award on Dangote’s behalf during the 2024 Champion Newspapers Annual Awards held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Describing the honour as a reflection of the business mogul’s enduring legacy and commitment to economic development across the continent, Oladipo said the award “reflects the awardee’s excellence in Nigeria and Africa.”
The recognition places Dangote, whose conglomerate remains the largest in West Africa, among a distinguished group of 41 awardees acknowledged for their outstanding contributions to Nigeria’s socio-economic and technological advancement.
Dangote was honoured as “Man of the Year” and “Global Business Icon” in recognition of his decades-long leadership in industrialisation, philanthropy, and support for economic growth in Africa.
A renowned philanthropist, Dangote is also the chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which received a $1.25 bn endowment in 2014. The foundation has since scaled up its impact in health, education, and economic empowerment initiatives.
Other notable recipients at the awards event included Zenith Bank (Bank of the Year), Oliver Alawuba of United Bank for Africa (Banker of the Year), and Olufemi Soneye of NNPC Limited (Media Manager of the Year).
Champion Newspapers said the awardees were selected based on a proven track record of integrity, service excellence, and their contributions to national development.
In her welcome remarks, Group Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Champion Newspapers, Dr. Nwadiuto Iheakanwa, emphasised the importance of recognising individuals and institutions working to improve governance, economic growth, and social well-being.
“Our joy lies in the realisation that Nigeria is not running in circles but progressing, albeit slowly, towards development,” she said, while noting the need for a stronger enabling environment for the manufacturing sector and greater focus on agriculture.
Among the dignitaries at the ceremony was the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who was honoured as the Most Outstanding Deputy Governor of the Year and represented by Olumide Sogunle, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy.
The chairman of the occasion, tech entrepreneur and Zinox Technologies founder Leo Stan Ekeh, praised Champion Newspapers for curating what he described as “one of the best organised awards in the country.”
He highlighted Zinox’s role in digitising media houses, including Champion, and reaffirmed the company’s mandate to advance Nigeria’s digital economy.
The night also celebrated figures from various sectors, including grassroots governance, entertainment, energy, finance, insurance, and public service, underscoring the broad spectrum of leadership and innovation driving Nigeria’s development agenda.
