Aliko Dangote has revealed why his first grandson is delaying joining the family business, saying the electrical engineer wants KPMG or PwC experience first
‘He’s Not Finding It Interesting’ — Dangote Reveals Why Grandson Wants KPMG, PwC Experience Before Joining Empire
Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that his first grandson is not ready to join the family business, saying the young electrical engineer wants to gain professional experience elsewhere before returning to the conglomerate.
Dangote disclosed this on Tuesday in Nairobi, Kenya, during an engagement with institutional investors from Kenya and other East African countries organised as part of activities surrounding the ongoing initial public offering of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE.
According to the billionaire businessman, his grandson wants to work with major global professional services firms such as KPMG or PwC to gain experience, particularly in finance, before eventually joining the Dangote Group.
“And my first grandson, he’s not finding it interesting to work with me for now. He wants to go and get experience with KPMG or PWC,” Dangote said.
“Then after he’ll come and join us. He’s an electrical engineer, but he wants to go and learn about money first,” he added.
The disclosure comes amid renewed attention on succession at the sprawling Dangote conglomerate, with three of Dangote’s daughters already holding senior positions across the group.
Halima Dangote is the executive director of the Dangote Family Office and international offices in Dubai and London. Mariya Dangote is group executive director overseeing commercial operations for the cement and food businesses, while Fatima Dangote is group executive director, commercial operations for oil and gas, WAEP and fertiliser.
Dangote has previously said succession in the conglomerate would not be determined by gender and that having a male heir was not a priority. He has also indicated that one or more of his daughters could eventually take over the leadership of the business.
At the Nairobi investor engagement, the businessman also spoke about the group’s approach to planning, warning that setting targets too far into the future could create complacency among employees and executives by reducing the sense of urgency around achieving them.
He said the Dangote Group largely operates on five-year plans, developed with the participation of senior executives and directors across the organisation.
The family succession discussion comes as Dangote’s petroleum refinery undergoes a major expansion and its parent business seeks fresh capital through a landmark public offering.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery IPO involves 4.1 billion ordinary shares priced at ₦525 each, with a minimum subscription of 10 shares, as the company targets about $1.6 billion in proceeds. The offer opened on September 14 and is scheduled to close on October 13, 2026.
The funds are expected to support the refinery’s planned expansion from its current 700,000 barrels-per-day capacity to about 1.4 million barrels per day.
Dangote is also pursuing a major expansion into East Africa with plans for a 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu, Kenya, as the group seeks to deepen its presence in the continent’s energy sector.
For now, however, Dangote’s first grandson appears set to build his career outside the family empire before deciding when to take up a role in the multibillion-dollar business.
