Dangote's grandson opts for KPMG or PwC before family business
Aliko Dangote, Africa's wealthiest individual and the head of the Dangote Group, has revealed that his eldest grandson is not currently inclined to join the family conglomerate.
The young man, who trained as an electrical engineer, intends to build professional experience elsewhere before taking up a role within the group, according to Dangote. He is looking at opportunities with the international professional services firms KPMG or PwC, where he hopes to gain exposure particularly in financial matters, after which he would return to the family business.
Dangote made these remarks on Tuesday in Nairobi during a high-level investor engagement held alongside the initial public offering of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. The event brought together institutional investors from Kenya and other parts of East Africa.
Discussing succession and how family members feature in the business, Dangote explained that his first grandson would rather develop his career outside the conglomerate before assuming any position in it.
"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. Then after he'll come and join us. He's an electrical engineer, but he wants to go and learn about money first," Dangote said.
At the event, Dangote also presented his first daughter, Mariya Dangote, and her husband, Alassane. He asked the couple to stand so the audience could acknowledge them, and he described Mariya as a shy individual.
According to the businessman, his three daughters — Mariya, Halima and Fatima — already hold executive roles in different segments of the conglomerate and are involved in managing the family business.
The Dangote Group operates across multiple industries, with interests spanning cement, sugar, refining, fertiliser and manufacturing.
Turning to how the group handles long-term planning, Dangote stated that it does not use 10-year plans. He reasoned that setting goals too far ahead can breed complacency among staff and executives, since the deadline would seem remote. Instead, the group relies primarily on five-year plans that draw in senior executives and directors from across the organisation.
He listed Group Vice Presidents Edwin and Alaki, Group Chief Financial Officer Murat, David Bird and other directors as participants in the company's planning process.
Dangote has spoken in the past about succession within the conglomerate, saying that having a male heir is not something he prioritises. He has also suggested that one or more of his daughters could one day lead the business, consistent with his view that succession should rest on the next generation's capacity to lead the group rather than on gender.
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