DANGOTE DOMINANCE: Awards, Philanthropy, and Industry Leadership Elevate Africa’s Most Admired Brand

Published By Jerry Adesewo On May 26, 2025

DANGOTE DOMINANCE: Awards, Philanthropy, and Industry Leadership Elevate Africa’s Most Admired Brand

By Jerry Adesewo

In a compelling showcase of corporate excellence and social impact, Dangote Industries Limited and its flagship brands have emerged as Africa’s most dominant business force, sweeping multiple prestigious awards, expanding philanthropic footprints, and reinforcing their economic leadership. From boardrooms to the streets, Dangote’s influence is resonating.

Dividend Leader, Reporting Champion

At the inaugural Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards held recently in Lagos, Dangote Cement emerged as the Dividend Paying Company of the Year, trumping heavyweights like Airtel Africa and the Nigerian Aviation Company. Since 2018, the cement giant has consistently paid above ₦10 per share, with 2023 seeing a record ₦30 per share dividend. The 2024 financial year promises to sustain that momentum, pending shareholder approval.

This commitment to value creation was echoed at the ICAN-NGX REGCO Corporate Reporting Awards, where Dangote Cement clinched the Platinum Award, recognizing excellence in financial reporting, corporate governance, and sustainability. The company beat other top contenders like MTN Nigeria, Zenith Bank, and GTCO.

Cementing Africa’s Industrial Future

As Africa’s largest cement producer, Dangote Cement has made strategic investments that have not only eliminated Nigeria’s reliance on imported cement but turned the nation into a net exporter of cement and clinker. With a home production capacity of 35.25 Mta and new plants like the 6 Mta Itori Plant in Ogun State underway, Dangote Cement is powering Nigeria’s infrastructure and industrialisation drive.

Dangote Tops Brand Africa 100, Inducted into Hall of Fame

In a major pan-African recognition, Dangote Industries was named “Most Admired African Brand” at the 15th Brand Africa 100 Awards in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and was inducted into the Brand Africa Hall of Fame alongside MTN, Ethiopian Airlines, and M-Pesa. Aliko Dangote, Group President, was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award for redefining industrialisation and the African business narrative.

Brand Africa Founder, Thebe Ikalafeng, noted that only 11% of admired brands in Africa are homegrown—a figure Dangote is helping to shift with strong product quality, authenticity, and impact.

Time 100 Impact: Philanthropy on a Global Stage

At the TIME100 Impact Dinner in New York, Aliko Dangote was listed among the world’s most influential philanthropists, joining icons like Oprah Winfrey, Melinda Gates, and Michael Bloomberg. His Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) spends over $35 million annually across Africa and recently set aside ₦16 billion to distribute 1 million bags of 10kg rice to vulnerable Nigerians across all 774 LGAs.

The food relief programme, aligned with the UN’s Zero Hunger SDG, has already reached states like Lagos, Kano, and now Edo State, where 13,000 bags were distributed to host communities, including Okpella, home to one of Dangote’s cement plants.

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, lauded the gesture, saying:

“This is a testament to Alhaji Dangote’s compassion and a clarion call to other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate his partnership spirit in tackling poverty.”

Empowerment, Education, and Healthcare

Beyond food palliatives, Dangote’s philanthropic interventions span malnutrition, polio eradication, and education. From funding a $100 million child nutrition initiative to donating Nigeria’s largest university hostel in ABU Zaria, Dangote’s investments are building human capital across the continent.

He also recently announced a $10 million donation to the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Kano, and continues to support early childhood education through the “Mu Shuka Iri” programme in Northern Nigeria.

Looking Ahead

From corporate reporting excellence and record-breaking dividends to global philanthropy and pan-African brand dominance, the Dangote Group continues to redefine what it means to be a responsible African conglomerate. With expanding industrial capacity, transparency in governance, and commitment to sustainable development, Aliko Dangote is proving that profit and purpose can indeed co-exist at scale.

In his own words:

“I want to be known not just as Africa’s richest man, but as its biggest giver.”

And for now, he wears both titles with deserved authority.

DANGOTE DOMINANCE: Awards, Philanthropy, and Industry Leadership Elevate Africa’s Most Admired Brand