Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has said having a son to inherit his business empire is not a priority, noting that his three daughters, Halima, Fatima and Mariya, are capable of taking over the business in the future.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, Dangote was asked whether he still wished to have a male child, particularly given traditional expectations around male heirs in Kano, his home state.
The 69-year-old businessman said the decision to have children was ultimately in God’s hands and cautioned against forcing what was not meant to be.
“God controls everything. And for me, really, sometimes, yeah, you can pray for God to give you a son, but that son might be the one that would tear down the name of the family. So sometimes when God doesn’t give you something, don’t push.”
Dangote added that he did not believe a son would necessarily have performed better than his daughters.
“Even if I had a son, I don’t think the son would have done better than these three daughters that I have.”
Asked whether he could see any of his daughters eventually taking charge of the Dangote Group, he said he believed one of them could lead the company.
“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 explained that his daughters have shown genuine interest in the family business and are not being forced to join it.
“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.”
Dangote also expressed confidence that his daughters could surpass his achievements and take the company to an even higher level.
