By Joe Udo
“If I could use only a few words to describe Aliko Dangote, I would say he is indefatigable, resilient, and foresighted. He is one of the greatest African entrepreneurs of our time. As founder of the Dangote Group, he has financed and manufactured everything from cement to sugar to oil, and recently, as part of his push to invest in African industry, opened a colossal new refinery—Nigeria’s largest. He has shown Africans can create value, with our own resources, on our continent.
When faced with difficult moments of my own, I will often ask myself: What would Aliko do? I call him Alicash because he has the Midas touch, but what impresses me most about Aliko is that, in spite of his immense success, he is incredibly humble. He has inspired a generation of entrepreneurs, continues to inspire his friends, and can always be counted on to return a phone call.
Aliko and I both believe in the development of Africa from within—by Africans. His dedication is exemplary. He is unceasing in ensuring we leave our continent in a better state than when we met it.
A great man, creating a great legacy,” says Tony Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings and United Bank for Africa
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and founder of the Dangote Group, has been named to TIME magazine’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people for 2026, his second appearance on the prestigious ranking and his first in more than a decade.
The list places the Kano-born billionaire in the “Titans” category alongside Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, the fashion designer Ralph Lauren, and Ben Stiller.
The list also features world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Dangote is the only Nigerian honoured on this year’s list, though five other Africans were recognised — Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, public health official Precious Matsoso, model Anok Yai, educator Mamadou Amadou Ly, and peacebuilder Zabib Musa Loro.
His first TIME 100 recognition came in 2014, when he was cited for his contributions to business and philanthropy.
His return to the list more than a decade later underscores the sustained and expanding reach of his influence, both on the continent and globally.
In its citation, TIME highlighted Dangote’s long-term vision of building globally competitive industries anchored in African resources, pointing to his large-scale investments in manufacturing and energy infrastructure as central to the continent’s economic transformation.
The Dangote Group spans cement manufacturing, sugar refining, fertiliser production, and agriculture, sectors that analysts say have measurably reduced Nigeria’s dependence on imports while generating employment across the country and the broader region.
His most consequential recent project, the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos, Africa’s largest single-train refinery, has drawn significant attention as a potential game-changer for Nigeria’s fuel supply chain, a country that for decades exported crude oil while importing refined petroleum products at great cost to its economy and citizens.
The recognition also comes as the Dangote Group advances Vision 2030, an ambitious growth strategy targeting an expansion of the conglomerate from a $30 billion regional player to a $100 billion global enterprise.
The first phase, running from 2025 to 2028, focuses on scaling existing operations in cement, fertiliser, and energy.
The second phase, covering 2028 to 2030, is expected to drive entry into steel manufacturing, power generation, and deep-sea port development — areas that successive Nigerian administrations have identified as critical infrastructure gaps.
Beyond commerce, Dangote chairs the Aliko Dangote Foundation, one of Africa’s largest private philanthropic organisations, with programmes spanning nutrition, healthcare, education, and disaster relief across Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
Other notable figures in the Titans category include Reid Wiseman, commander of NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission, and Susan and Michael Dell, the philanthropic couple who recently committed to giving $250, which can be invested in a stock market index fund, to each child under 10 years old in lower-income areas in the U.S.
The 2026 TIME 100 list spans business, politics, technology, science, and culture, with additional honourees in medicine recognised for breakthroughs in genetic therapy, and figures in global entertainment, including actors Ranbir Kapoor, Dakota Johnson, and Kate Hudson.
