Again, Dangote, Adenuga dominate Africa’s business scene

Again, Dangote, Adenuga dominate Africa’s business scene
By Goddie Ofose, Senior Correspondent, Lagos

For the umpteenth time, President, Dangote Group and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and Chairman of Globacom, Mike Adenuga, have been honoured for their business dexterity not only in Nigeria, but also in Africa.

However, the surprise package in the top 100 influential Africans in business and politics, is the chairman of Heirs Holdings and immediate past Group Managing Director (GMD) of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu.

Those who also made the exclusive list from the business and finance category include former Chief Executive Officer of MTN Group, Phuthuma Nhleko, President, Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Donald Kaberuka and Egyptian billionaire, Naguib Sawris.

It was, however, surprising to see that personalities like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Lamido Sanusi Lamido, Chairman/CEO, Zenon Oil, Femi Otedola, Chairman and CEO, Global Fleet, Jimoh Ibrahim and the immediate past GMD of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovie, were missing on the list.

The listing, which was not in a particular order, featured top influencers in business and politics, opinion-shapers, agitators, groundbreakers and myth busters, who are shaping the face of Africa and it was divided into categories such as business and finance, poets, media, music, science and technology and authors.

President Goodluck Jonathan, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Nelson Mandela, are included in the list of political leaders that have influenced the course of history of the continent. Dangote, who made history in March this year, when he emerged the richest man in Africa in a ranking by Forbesmagazine, is one of the continent’s foremost industrialists. Currently, Dangote Group, which he founded over three decades ago, has operations in about 14 African countries including Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia and South Africa.

From the list released in March this year, Adenuga, 57 who is also considered one of the Nigeria’s richest men alive because of his vast interests in telecommunication, oil and gas, banking, and real estate was rated a distant 595th with the net worth of $2billion from his investment in telecom, banking and oil on the chart of 1140 billionaires.

However, his compatriot, Dangote, four years younger, was ranked 51st richest man on earth, having been estimated to worth $13.8billion through his sugar, flour and cement investment. Another African on the list of Forbes’ 1140 billionaires is an 81-year-old Egyptian, Onsi Sawiris, rated 393rd with net worth of $2.9billion on diversified economy, who incidentally is also rated

A record number of 1,210 billionaires made to the list this year with a total net worth of $4.5trillion. China doubled its number of billionaires, and Moscow now has more billionaires than any other city in the world.

Mexico’s Carlos Slim widened his lead at No. 1 coming in at $71billion against $53.5billion last year. Bill Gates would have been number one, but remained at number two with $56billion because he has given away $30billion to charity.

Dangote makes a massive jump from 463 ($2.1Billion) in 2010 to 51 ($13.8billion) in 2011. The jump can be partly explained by the addition of his flour and cement assets (2010 figures only reckoned with Dangote Sugar assets).

Dangote is now the richest man in Africa and the richest black man in the world.

Adenuga makes a debut in Forbes’ billionaires list ranking 595th with net worth base of ($2billion). His investment in telecom is felt across Africa particularly his Glo 1 fibre project.

Adenuga’s Globacom is the first indigenous international-driven telecom brand in Africa.

His impact in the banking sector cannot be wished away. His Equitorial Trust Bank is one of the traditional family-based financial institutions that have escaped CBN regulatory hammer.

Also, Conoil’s influence in the oil industry particularly the downstream sector cannot be overemphasised.

Analysts stated that his inclusion in that list is not questionable as against condemnation that trailed his distant ranking in Forbes rich list three months ago.

Elumelu, against all odds was included in the influencer list of top Africans. He was a force to reckon with in his days in the banking sector. He rose to prominence when his defunct Standard Trust Bank (STB) made an audacious move to acquire the then United Bank for Africa (UBA). The merger eventually went through and Elumelu from nowhere became the first GMD of the modern UBA.

The chairman of Heirs Holdings Limited, a principal investment company, primarily focused on financial services, natural resources, infrastructure and healthcare, within Africa, he is also responsible for the creation of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, whose objective is the promotion and celebration of excellence in business management, entrepreneurship and leadership across Africa. Both organisations are a direct consequence of Elumelu’s entrepreneurial and philanthropic passions, fuelled by his desire to nurture a new crop of African leaders committed to Africa’s development.

Elumelu, unlike his peers, is widely acknowledged as one of Africa’s most influential business leaders. His corporate reputation was founded on his role in re-shaping the African financial services industry, as the driving force behind UBA. He is one of the very few business leaders who can legitimately claim to have helped shape a sector across Africa.

Commenting on the rating, Mr. Baffour Ankomah, editor of New African said: “Our continent has produced and continues to produce some impressive individuals from all walks of life who are having a profound impact not only on Africa but on the international community.

“The names on the list I am sure will be discussed the length and breadth of the continent. And the list in itself is not necessarily an endorsement as such, but what it does show is the diversity of skills, talents and personalities amongst northern and sub-Saharan Africans in contemporary times, and who are driving change across the continent and beyond.”

Another area of disappointment for Nigerians in the influencer list is in the media. Despite the fact that the country parades some of the best media entrepreneurs in the continent, no Nigerian was listed in that category.