Aliko Dangote has said having a male heir is not a priority for him, stressing that his three daughters are capable of taking over the Dangote Group.
The Chairman of Dangote Group made the remarks during an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
Dangote said he could see one of his daughters eventually leading the conglomerate, noting that he had been observing their involvement in the family business.
“I think, yes, I can see one of them. I’ve been watching all of them, so I can definitely see one of the three that can actually lead,” he said.
His daughters, Halima, Fatima and Mariya, hold senior positions within the business group, with their responsibilities growing as the company develops its succession structure.
Dangote said their involvement was driven by their own interest in the business rather than pressure from him.
“They are very, very interested in the business. I’m not forcing them to come and be part of this business, no. They are very interested, and they enjoy it,” he said.
The billionaire said he believed his daughters could surpass his achievements and take the company to a higher level.
He said their education and creativity could help them build on what he had achieved, adding that all three were capable of doing so.
Addressing the traditional expectation of having a son to inherit a family business, particularly in Kano, Dangote said he did not consider having a male heir important.
“Sometimes you can pray for God to give you a son, but that son might be the one that would bring down the name of the family,” he said.
He added that having a son would not necessarily guarantee the preservation of the family’s legacy.
“Even if I had a son, I don’t think the son would have done better than these three daughters that I have,” Dangote said.
Beyond family succession, Dangote said his priority was to ensure that the conglomerate was professionally managed and operated under strong corporate governance.
“I want this company to be run professionally. I want to have the highest level of governance,” he said.
He cited companies such as Microsoft and Apple as examples of businesses that have continued beyond their founders.
Dangote said measures should be put in place to prevent any family member from undermining the company in the future.
“We want to make sure that we make it very difficult for any family member to come and destroy anything,” he said.
The businessman said his broader legacy was to contribute to the industrialisation of Africa.
“What I want to leave as a legacy is to industrialise Africa,” Dangote said, adding that he expected other Africans to join the effort in the coming years.
