Africa’s richest man named among TIME 100 most influential people for 2026
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, has been named among TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for 2026.
Black News 
![Nigerian multinational industrial conglomerate Dangote Group's CEO Aliko Dangote arrives for a dinner in honour of the President of Nigeria, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on November 28, 2024. [Photo by Thomas SAMSON/AFP]](https://ocdn.eu/pulscms/MDA_/cf2b7b1ab7bfdd93b711a711a7a6591a.jpg)
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, has been named among TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for 2026.
- Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and chairman of Dangote Group, has been named among TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people for 2026.
- Dangote was praised by Tony Elumelu for his resilience, foresight, and humility, who wrote his TIME100 profile.
- His inclusion marks the second time Dangote has joined the TIME100 list; his first was in 2014, when he was profiled by Bill Gates.
- Dangote Group’s businesses span cement, sugar, fertiliser, salt, and a major petroleum refinery, with profits doubling in 2025 to ₦1 trillion.
The TIME100 list is the magazine’s annual ranking of the world’s 100 most influential individuals, recognising figures across categories including leaders, titans, artists, and innovators.
The accompanying profile of the Nigerian industrialist was written by Tony Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings and United Bank for Africa, who described Dangote as “indefatigable, resilient, and foresighted.”
“He has shown Africans can create value with our own resources on our continent,” Elumelu wrote.
"When faced with difficult moments of my own, I will often ask myself: What would Aliko do? I call him Alicash because he has the Midas touch, but what impresses me most about Aliko is that, in spite of his immense success, he is incredibly humble."
Dangote, with an estimated net worth of $28.5 billion, is the only Nigerian on the list and features in the Titans category. This marks his second appearance on the TIME100 list, following his first inclusion in 2014, when Bill Gates authored a profile highlighting his impact on business and philanthropy.
Refinery bet powers new growth phase
Through the Dangote Group, his business empire spans cement, sugar, fertiliser, and salt production across Africa. His flagship project, the 650,000 barrels-per-day Petroleum Refinery, is expanding capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day, strengthening Africa's fuel self-sufficiency and supporting broader industrial growth.
Dangote joins a global roster of influential figures spanning politics, business, and technology, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Pope Leo XIV, as well as Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan.
