“I Don’t Have Any House Abroad, I Drive Myself Around ” – Aliko Dangote Reveals

Nigerian billionaire businessman and richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote, says his refinery which is under construction will be completed in the last quarter of 2017.

In a new interview with Bloomberg, the chief executive officer of Dangote Group shared his business ideals and the next step for his business empire… with a little bit about his lifestyle.

The businessman touched on these 10 key topics.

REFINERY IN 2017

Dangote says his refinery, which would refine 650,000 barrels a day, would be among the largest in the world.

“WE DIDN’T REALLY REALIZE THAT WE WERE GOING TO NEED ALMOST 70 MILLION CUBIC METERS OF SAND. BUT WE ARE CATCHING UP, AND I’M SURE WE’LL BE ABLE TO DELIVER IT BY THE LAST QUARTER OF 2017.

“WE HAVE ACTUALLY NEVER FAILED IN DELIVERING ANY PROJECT. WE ALWAYS DELIVER OUR PROJECTS ON TIME AND AT COST. IF WE HADN’T DELIVERED OUR PROJECTS ON TIME, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING. WE WILL DEFINITELY DELIVER, BY THE GRACE OF GOD.”

LIFETIME PROJECT

To Dangote, the refinery is his lifetime project and he is backing it up with his own life to make sure it is delivered.

“WE ARE USING OUR OWN MONEY. THIS IS MY LIFETIME PROJECT. I HAVE TO BACK IT UP WITH MY OWN LIFE TO MAKE SURE IT IS DELIVERED. I KNOW THAT, YES, IT’S TRUE, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO DELIVER ON REFINERIES IN THE PAST, MOSTLY GOVERNMENTS. THEY COULDN’T.”

HE DOESN’T DO SMALL THINGS

By 2025, Dangote says he would have investments worth $50 billion in the US and Europe.

“BEGINNING IN 2020, 60% OF OUR FUTURE INVESTMENTS WILL BE OUTSIDE AFRICA, SO WE CAN HAVE A BALANCE. WE ARE LOOKING AT PETROCHEMICALS BUT CAN ALSO INVEST IN OTHER COMPANIES.

“LET’S SAY THAT BY 2025, I’M LOOKING AT BETWEEN $20 BILLION AND $50 BILLION. MIND YOU, WE DON’T DO SMALL THINGS.”

LEARNT FROM THE MEN WHO BUILT AMERICA

“I NEVER WORRY ABOUT BEING TOO BOLD. IN BUSINESS IT’S GOOD TO BE AGGRESSIVE, BUT WITH A HUMAN FACE.

“I THOUGHT AT FIRST I WAS REALLY AGGRESSIVE UNTIL I WATCHED THIS SHOW, THE MEN WHO BUILT AMERICA. I REALIZED THAT ACTUALLY THEY WERE MUCH BOLDER THAN US. SOMEONE LIKE VANDERBILT, HE BUILT 50,000 MILES OF RAIL! THAT IS A VERY BOLD MOVE. THAT’S WHY ANYTHING WE DO, WE DON’T DO IT SMALL. IF THERE’S ANY HUMAN BEING WHO HAS DONE THIS EQUALLY, I AM EQUAL TO THE TASK TO DO THE SAME. I ACTUALLY HAVE A SIGN ON MY DESK THAT SAYS, ‘NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE’.”