Top 10 Businessmen in Nigeria
In Nigeria, we often refer to businessmen as entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.
Nigeria is blessed with a good number of entrepreneurs coupled with the reach human, mineral and human resources which some individuals have been a able to take good advantage of. The individuals who venture into the business world aid in reducing the number of unemployment in the country by providing meaningful jobs to several thousands of Nigerians and employing a huge number of labor.
These business men have vast ideas that can generate huge sums of money from the businesses they venture into. Their impact and success is not only felt in Nigeria or Africa alone, but the world over.
Today, we will take a look at the top business men in Nigeria who have proven themselves to be more successful than others, carved out a niche in the business world and influence the society at large.
He tops the list as he is the richest man in Nigeria and Africa, was Born in 1957 in Kano state of Nigeria. As a child, Aliko Dangote had passion in business. He got admission and studied business in the popular Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. In 1977, Dangote started his own business with the name Dangote Group with the sum N500,000 loan from his grandfather, Alhaji Sanusi Dantata. Dangote Group has now grown to be a conglomerate in many African countries.
The business, which began as a little trading firm in Nigeria, with hard work and commitment has grown to a multi-billion dollar investment, with it’s branches spread across neighboring countries like Ghana,Togo and Benin republic. Dangote Group is currently the largest industrial group in West Africa with labor force of about 11,000 employee. He has also been seen as the highest employer of labor in Nigeria. In 2013, Aliko Dangote was rated as the richest black man in Africa by Forbes.
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2. Mike Adenuga.
Started his life at the early age of 26 as a lace textile material distributor. Presently, he has acquired for himself a good fortune of wealth by investing on other lucrative businesses like the oil, Banking and telecommuniccation sectors. In 2006, he founded the second largest telecommunication network in Nigeria after MTN, called Globacom with over 36 million subscribers in Nigeria.
Mike Adenuga is also the owner of one of the largest oil exploration companies in Nigeria, producing about 100,000 barrels of oil per day, referred to as Conoil. He is currently the second richest business man in Nigeria after Aliko Dangote.
3. Femi Otedola
42-year old Femi Otedola is presently the third richest business man in Nigeria, He is the CEO of Forte Oil, an oil marketing and power generation company. He made his fortune from the Oil and energy sector. a self made multi-millionaire up until 2016 when his net worth drastically dropped from $1.8 billion to $550 million due to the decline in the stock price of oil.
4. Orji Uzor Kalu
He is the owner of SLOK Holdings which operates in Oil and gas, banking and finance, media and publishing, real estate, trading, manufacturing, insurance and tourism. Born on April 21, 1960, He has an amazing progress in the business sector. He started his business as a retailer of palm oil, rice and sugar, before establishing his company.At his early stage, Orji uzo Kalu borrowed $35 from his mother to start his business as a trader, he also served as the governor of Abia state in Nigeria from 1999 to 2007.
He was initially worth $1 billion but his net worth recently took a plunge because of the weakness and fluctuations in oil prices.
5. Jim Ovia
Founded the Zenith Bank of Nigeria in 1990, which is the second largest financial services in West Africa and Visafone communication which has about 3 million subscribers in Nigeria. Though he stepped down as the groups chief executive in 2009, he remains the largest shareholder. He is said to have worth over $550 million.
6. Jimoh Ibrahim
A lawyer, businessman, politician, industrialist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Born on February 24, 1967, Jimoh Ibrahim is Presently the Group Chairman and Group CEO of Global Fleet Group. He is a major investor with great input in the aviation, insurance, energy, oil and gas etc
7. Abdulsammad Rabiu
The founder and chairman of the BUA group, an organization that is into manufacturing, agriculture and infrastructure. He is said to worth about $1.1 billion.
8. Oba Otudeko
A former banker, Oba Otudeko is the founder and chairman of Honeywell Group. A company that diversifies into the real estate, foods and agro-allied, infrastructure, energy and services. 69 years Oba Otudeko is currently worth about $2.5 billion and owns about 14% stake in Nigerian telecommunications company, Airtel.
9. Raymond Dokpesi
A recognized as the “media guru of Nigeria”, 62-year old Raymond Anthony Aleogho Dokpesi is the founder and chairman of Daar communications, RayPower FM and Africa Independent Television (AIT), the first privately owned television station in Nigeria.
10. Innoson Chukwuma
Known as the most innovative entrepreneur in Nigeria, Innoson Chukwuma is the founder of Innoson Vehicles. His company is the first indigenous motor manufacturing company in Nigeria.
