…As Africa’s Top Industrialist Steps Down to Focus on Refinery and Petrochemicals
By Muhammad B. Muhammad
Africa’s foremost industrialist and founder of Dangote Cement Plc, Aliko Dangote, has retired from his role as Chairman and Director of the Board of the company, effective July 25, 2025.
This is contained in a statement released as signed by Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief, Branding & Communications Officer, Dangote Industries Limited
This move is part of a strategic realignment to allow him devote greater attention to his refinery, petrochemicals, fertiliser ventures, and government relations, in line with the company’s five-year business growth plan.
In his place, the Board has appointed Mr. Emmanuel Ikazoboh, an Independent Non-Executive Director, as the new Chairman of the Board. Additionally, Hajiya Mariya Aliko Dangote has been appointed to the Board, while Prof. Dorothy Ufot has stepped down.
Aliko Dangote’s retirement marks the end of a remarkable chapter in the company’s history. Under his leadership, Dangote Cement Plc grew into Africa’s largest producer and exporter of cement and clinker, with a total installed capacity of 52.0 million tonnes per annum (Mta) across the continent — 35.25Mta of which is in Nigeria. New plants underway in Côte d’Ivoire (3.0Mta) and Itori, Nigeria (6.0Mta) are expected to raise total capacity to 61.0Mta upon completion this year.
Driven by his bold vision for self-sufficiency in cement production across Africa, Dangote invested heavily in cutting-edge plants and promoted local content, ultimately redefining the continent’s cement landscape. In 2024 alone, subsidiaries under the Dangote Group contributed over ₦402 billion in taxes, making the Group Nigeria’s highest taxpayer.
The company’s unaudited half-year results ending June 30, 2025, show record performance under his watch. Group revenue rose by 17.7% to ₦2.07 trillion from ₦1.76 trillion in the same period in 2024. Group EBITDA grew by 41.8% to ₦944.9 billion, with Nigerian operations accounting for ₦845.4 billion — an 82.4% increase. Profit before tax surged by 149% to ₦730 billion, while profit after tax jumped by 174.1% to ₦520.5 billion. Notably, export volumes from Nigeria grew by 18.2%, including 18 clinker shipments to Ghana and Cameroon.
Dangote’s legacy extends beyond figures. His leadership created millions of jobs, stimulated infrastructure growth, and restored confidence in African industrial capability. He leaves the board with a legacy of unmatched economic impact and pan-African influence.
In his acceptance remarks, Emmanuel Ikazoboh expressed gratitude for the opportunity, pledging to uphold the company’s legacy of excellence. He described Dangote Cement as “a beacon of African enterprise,” and outlined his priorities as Chairman: operational excellence, strategic expansion, sustainability, innovation, and community engagement.
“We will implement cost-reduction strategies to combat inflation, scale up the use of alternative fuels, and invest more in employee training and development,” Ikazoboh said.
A seasoned corporate leader, Ikazoboh previously served as Group Chairman of Ecobank Transnational Inc. and was a Managing Partner at Deloitte in West and Central Africa. In 2010, he was appointed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to lead capital market reforms at the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS).
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