72ND UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK:
‘AFRICA Will become the FOOD Basket of the World’-Aliko Dangote, Nigerian born, Africa’s Richest Billionaire
…Says: ‘FIVE of 12 Million jobs needed in AFRICA must be created in NIGERIA’
* Parleys Foreign Investors on Agriculture
* Corporate Council on Africa arrange International Diplomats to listen to him on Africa’s Opportunities
*Rwandan President Paul Kagame openly converse on Africa’s opportunities and challenges
*Session moderated by Rosa Whitaker, former US Trade Representative and author of the AGOA (African Growth Opportunity Act)
* “We should pray that oil prices remain low. This helps wean us off the dependency on revenues from petroleum. We must take oil to be the icing on the cake. We already have the cake”-DANGOTE
BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/FOREIGN BUREAU CHIEF, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
NIGERIAN BORN BILLIONAIRE AND AFRICA’S RICHEST MAN, Aliko Dangote has made history in the 72nd United Nations (UN) General Assembly held in New York, United States, September 20, 2017 as he addressed a gathering of international diplomats on the huge opportunities available in Africa and why five to 12 million new jobs needed to be created in Nigeria to generate food basket for the world in a bid to fight food insecurity across the globe.
In a historic event that took place inside a packed room at the headquarters of global law firm Shearman and Sterling LLC where high level business leaders and international diplomats were invited by the Corporate Council for Africa to hear Africa’s richest man, Dangote echoes: “Africa will become the food
basket of the world. Five of the twelve million jobs needed in Africa soon must
be created in Nigeria. We should pray that oil prices remain low.”
This Nigerian business leader told investors “Agriculture, agriculture, agriculture. Africa will become the food basket of the world.” The ceremony witnessed the presence of Rwandan president Paul Kagame who openly converse on Africa’s opportunities and challenges.
Both leaders underscored the ongoing movement to diversify African economies. In the case of Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, Dangote stated “we should pray that oil prices remain low. This helps wean us off the dependency on revenues from petroleum. We must take oil to be the icing on the cake. We already have the cake,” he added.
In addition to agriculture Dangote cited Nigeria’s vast mineral resources and gas as well and the need to manufacture more goods locally for domestic consumption. Dangote and President Kagame cited continued need for heavy investments in education and connected the need for young people to be well trained for the jobs of tomorrow. In his prediction, Dangote said that “five of the twelve million jobs needed in Africa soon must be created in Nigeria.”
Dangote’s fortune which stems from cement, sugar, and other household commodities has expanded into fertilizer and other processed high-value goods. In his words to investors: “Technology of course helps us a lot and our factories are state of the art with the use of robotics but we shouldn’t be overly tech oriented to create wealth.”
Without doubt, Dangote who is often cited as one of the most inspiring business leaders in the world today and a model for young entrepreneurs offered advice to Americans who tend to rely on outdated news and wrong perceptions of Africa. He tells whoever listens: “Don’t be lazy. Go there and find the real story for yourself. Things have changed.”
Dangote noted the Rwanda success story where he has business interests as an example of positive change, good governance and leadership, and where corruption has been cured. He cited a personal experience of offering a $100 US tip for services at the Kigali Airport to staff who refused to take money for work they were paid to do.
President Kagame was praised for delivering the environment for growth he promised. “There is nothing African about corruption,” the Rwandan president added.
The session was moderated by Rosa Whitaker, former US Trade Representative and author of the AGOA (African Growth Opportunity Act), whose business consultancy is credited for helping both African governments and US companies develop commerce.
