PRESIDENT and Chief Executive of the Pan-African conglomerate Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has urged African business leaders to spearhead the continent’s transformation.

His call to action came during the recently concluded African Renaissance Retreat held in Kigali, Rwanda.

Addressing the gathering, Dangote highlighted the continent's potential despite ongoing challenges. Africa’s youthful population and rich resource base—including 30 percent of the world’s mineral reserves and major reserves of gold, cobalt, uranium, platinum, and diamonds—present opportunities for significant and inclusive growth.

“Moreover, Africa has 65 percent of the world’s arable land and 10 percent of the planet’s internal renewable freshwater sources. These assets offer a myriad of opportunities for robust and inclusive growth, leveraging our abundant human potential and natural resources to boost prosperity both within Africa and globally,” he said. 

He emphasized that Africa is at a pivotal moment with its dynamic population, expanding cities, and increasing adoption of innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

Dangote also reflected on the hurdles faced by his group, which has expanded operations from Nigeria to 14 other African countries across diverse sectors including cement, fertilizers, sugar, oil refineries, petrochemicals, and agriculture.

 “Despite numerous challenges—ranging from visa issues and fluctuating government policies to infrastructure gaps and foreign exchange crises—the Dangote Group has successfully built a pan-African presence. We now employ over 50,000 people and anticipate generating revenues exceeding $30 billion by the end of 2025,” he noted.

The retreat, which Dangote initiated, was aimed at gathering dedicated African business leaders to address the continent’s challenges, devise concrete solutions, and position Africa as a viable investment destination despite its obstacles.

 “This private, high-level gathering was long overdue. With leading entrepreneurs, heads of major pan-African companies, influential development institutions, global institution leaders, top investors, civil society activists, and respected political figures, this retreat provided an opportunity for candid dialogue and alignment on our development narrative,” said Dangote.

He underscored that the retreat was not merely about dialogue but about actionable outcomes. “We come together not just as leaders of our institutions but as visionaries and catalysts for transforming our societies. It is our collective responsibility to drive this transformation—no one else will do it for us,” he added.

The retreat’s participants resolved to encourage regular high-level dialogue among African private sector and political leaders. They proposed supporting the ratification of the free movement of people protocol, launching the African Renaissance Companies Gender Compact, and convening top global business leaders of African descent. Additionally, they aimed to reduce logistics costs across the continent and expand internet access for a broader segment of Africa’s population.

The retreat featured prominent figures such as Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations; Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of the African Export-Import Bank; former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Adebayo Ogunlesi of Global Infrastructure Partners; former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn; and many others from diverse sectors.