Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, has criticised wealthy Nigerians who he says prefer luxury spending on private jets and Rolls Royce vehicles rather than investing in industries that create jobs.
Speaking with journalists on Friday, the industrialist warned that Nigeria cannot develop through heavy import dependence, saying importation “is importing poverty and exporting jobs”.
He questioned whether the country can progress without a strong industrial base, stressing the need to prioritise agriculture, manufacturing and a strong banking system to support economic growth.
“If you have money for Rolls-Royce, you should go and put up an industry in your locality, or anywhere in part of Nigeria, wherever that you feel there is a need,” Dangote said.
“Everybody has a private jet. Those private jets should be in industries, so that we can create jobs.”
Dangote also raised concerns about Nigeria’s rapidly growing population, noting that 8.7 million babies are born each year — a scale that will require enormous investment in power, infrastructure, healthcare and education.
He urged companies to fulfil their civic responsibilities by paying taxes, saying the government is effectively “the number one shareholder” in every business through tax contributions.
“What we are looking for is that [the] government should give us an enabling environment to do this. We too, as corporate citizens, we must make sure that we pay our taxes. We must behave. So it is a partnership,” he said.
“If I pay tax, your children will be able to go to school. Your children will be able to go to [the] hospital. We don’t need to go to Cairo, London, or the US for medicals. We do it here.”
The group president advised that Nigeria focus less on chasing foreign investment and more on strengthening policies that boost domestic investors.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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