Africa’s wealthiest man Aliko Dangote loses younger brother, Sani Dangote

Sani Dangote, the vice chairman of Dangote Group, Africa’s most diversified manufacturing conglomerate, has died after a brief illness in the United States on Sunday.

A post made by the group this morning, Nov. 15, confirmed that Sani Dangote, the younger brother of Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, passed away on Nov. 14 in an American hospital.

The death of the Nigerian businessman and industrialist sent shock waves across Africa’s richest economy given the governance and managerial roles that he played in growing and transforming Dangote Group into a behemoth over the past 40 years.

Prior to his death, Sani Dangote was vice chairman of Dangote Group and was group vice president of Dangote Industries Limited.

He was also a non-executive director in Dangote Cement, Africa’s largest cement company, and a non-executive director in his brother’s sugar business, Dangote Sugar Refinery.

In addition to his governance roles in the group, Sani maintained active leadership roles in about 14 different organizations and companies. This includes his position as the president of the Lagos Polo Club, Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association and president of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group.

The late industrialist was also the founder and chairman of Dansa Holdings, a Lagos-based investment holding with investments and operations in fruit and vegetable conservation and specialty food manufacturing.

One of its subsidiaries, Dansa Foods, a beverage manufacturing company, operates as a member of Dangote Group.

Sani Dangote invested is wealth in manufacturing, agriculture, banking and oil services.