Nicolai Tangen sits down with Aliko Dangote, Founder and CEO of the Dangote Group, Africa’s largest industrial conglomerate, to explore his journey from a small Lagos trading firm to a sprawling empire spanning cement, fertiliser, petrochemicals, and the world’s largest single-train oil refinery. They discuss overcoming fierce opposition, Africa’s infrastructure challenges, and why its booming youth population signals enormous opportunity. Dangote’s mission? Pioneering the industrialisation of an entire continent. Tune in for an insightful conversation!
In Good Company is hosted by Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management. New episode out every Wednesday.
The podcast In Good Company is part of Norges Bank Investment Management, a podcast about our investments. We are transparent about how the fund is invested. In this podcast, you get a deeper insight into the companies the fund is invested in.
Our CEO, Nicolai Tangen, has in-depth interviews with the leaders of some of the largest companies in the world. You will get insight into their leadership principles, the company’s strategy and how they are dealing with a large investor like us. You will also learn more about our role as an owner of the companies.
You can read more about the podcast on https://www.nbim.no/en/publications/podcast/
0:00 Intro – Nicolai meets Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest entrepreneur
0:28 The founding story: from cement trading to a continent-wide empire
6:10 Choosing which businesses to build — and which to exit
8:29 The three decisions that made Dangote a success
13:43 The refinery’s impact and the Middle East crisis
21:53 The biggest risks of running 18 businesses in 17 countries
23:37 Being Nigeria’s biggest employer and taxpayer
25:29 What foreign investors get wrong about Africa
31:32 China’s dominance in Africa — and the absence of the West
42:37 Legacy, philanthropy, Arsenal, and advice for young Africans
