Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and founder of the Dangote Group, has been named to TIME magazine’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people for 2026 his second appearance on the prestigious ranking and his first in more than a decade.
This latest recognition comes more than twelve years after his first inclusion in 2014, when he was honoured for his exceptional impact on business and philanthropy.
The list places the Kano-born billionaire in the “Titans” category alongside Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, and actor Ben Stiller, and also features world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
In its citation, TIME magazine highlighted Dangote’s vision of building African industries with local resources for global competitiveness, pointing to his large-scale investments in energy and manufacturing infrastructure as central to the continent’s long-term economic transformation.
Dangote is the only Nigerian honoured on this year’s list, though five other Africans were also recognised among them Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, public health official Precious Matsoso, and model Anok Yai.
As Founder and President of the Dangote Group ; Africa’s largest indigenous industrial conglomerate Dangote has played a central role in advancing industrialisation across the continent, with landmark investments spanning cement manufacturing, sugar and food processing, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy, significantly reducing Africa’s reliance on imports while creating millions of direct and indirect jobs.
His most consequential recent project, the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos Africa’s largest single-train refinery has drawn significant attention as a potential game-changer for Nigeria’s energy sector.
The recognition also aligns with Dangote’s Vision 2030 strategy, aimed at transforming his conglomerate from a $30 billion regional group into a $100 billion global industrial powerhouse by the end of the decade, with plans for expansion into steel manufacturing, power generation, and deep-sea port infrastructure.
Beyond commerce, Dangote was also recognised for his philanthropic work through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which supports initiatives in healthcare, education, and economic empowerment.
