By Funsho Arogundade
There are several billionaires who will presumably part with their gigantic fortunes sometime in the near future. The children of these tycoons, many of whom are reaching middle age themselves, are waiting in the wings to reap a huge inheritance. Halima Dangote is one of those worthy heiresses. Though the second daughter of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, this demure lady stands as a symbol of business prowess, holding the esteemed position of Group Executive Director in her father’s conglomerate, Dangote Group. Her multifaceted leadership extends beyond Dangote Group to prestigious boards including NASCON Allied Industries Plc and the Aliko Dangote Foundation, where she plays a pivotal role in steering initiatives towards impactful change and sustainable growth.
Halima is also the Executive Director of the Dubai-based Dangote Family Office —a private company that manages the wealth and financial affairs of the family. Her responsibilities also include wealth planning to support the needs of multiple generations, meeting family philanthropic goals, legacy protection and creating a family culture that can sustain the family for generations. This trailblazer role has earned Halima a seat at the recently concluded 22nd Forbes Global CEO Conference in Bangkok, Thailand where 400 prominent business leaders from around the world gathered to discuss the theme “New Paradigms”. As expected, Halima shone like a bright star as she examined the world’s rapidly unfolding future during the panel session on ‘Family Business: Looking at the Next Frontier’. Halima disclosed that adherence to core values, customer satisfaction, meritocracy, integrity, diversification, growth, philanthropy and preserving generational wealth play key roles to the success of their family businesses.
For Halima’s dad, he believes in training his children organically so they can perfectly fit to assume any leadership roles in the family business. Halima had those internship programmes where she learned the ropes and got prepared for the leadership roles she assumed today.
With academic accolades from the American Intercontinental University, London and Webster Graduate School, England, Halima’s educational journey reflects her unwavering commitment to excellence. She started her career as an Analyst at KPMG before joining Dangote Industries Limited. This approach removed the familiarity tag as she got other people to supervise and monitor her performance. And this experience has been working for her to successfully run the family business.
