Aliko Dangote
Dangote said he first came to Lagos in January 1978, according to a rare video that has surfaced online. He spent about eight months in Ikoyi with his uncle before he moved to Nigeria's commercial capital.
Dangote said life was perfect at the time because he used to go drinking and clubbing at Eko Hotels & Suites and the Federal Palace Hotel.
Since the business mogul seldom speaks about his personal life, this video provides some insight into Dangote's early years.
He announced that he stayed with his uncle for eight months before relocating to Surulere in September 1978. He said he loved his time in Surulere almost as much as he enjoyed his time in Lagos, and that he met several of his current closest friends there.
On what Lagos looked like when he moved to Nigeria’s commercial capital, Dangote said “Lagos too has grown because when I came here, I remember most of the time I only used my car on weekends. Normally, I would use motorbikes because it was easier to move with motorbikes especially for we that we used to work in Apapa. I mean, it’s been great. I think the transformation in Lagos in the last 39 years from a smaller Lagos to a much bigger Lagos. My dream of Lagos now is for it to become like New York with all those skyscrapers. It will happen. I think we just have to keep the work going. I wish Lagos all the very best,” Dangote said.
During his stay in Surulere, he opened his own office in Apapa in 1980. He lived in Surulere for about four years, leaving in 1982.
The office he opened in 1980, is what laid the foundation for what is now a conglomerate with a group of companies in various fields such as cement, sugar, and most recently, flour.
In 1987, Aliko Dangote bought a parcel of land in Victoria Island where he built his first house. He moved in there in 1990 and said it has been so incredible since then.
He described his entrepreneurship journey as a great one so far.
“It’s been so great. Our business has actually grown. I don’t know what percentage it is. But we have actually grown from a little ant to a great elephant. So, my living here in Lagos has actually been a tremendous blessing by the Almighty God.”
Watch the video below
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