In an address to business leaders in New York, commodities mogul Aliko Dangote stated that he believes African resources can wean Nigeria off petroleum revenues.
Speaking alongside Rwandan president Paul Kagame, Dangote specified the need for investment in education and the need for young people to be well trained for the jobs of tomorrow.
Pointing out Nigeria’s vast mineral resources, gas and the requirement that the country source goods locally, he said: “we should pray that oil prices remain low. This helps wean us off the dependency on revenues from petroleum. We must take oil to be the icing on the cake. We already have the cake.”
Adding: “Agriculture, agriculture, agriculture. Africa will become the food basket of the world.”
Dangote predicted that “five of the twelve million jobs needed in Africa soon must be created in Nigeria.”
The Nigerian billionaire, who made his money in commodities such as cement, sugar and fertilizer hold businesses in his native Nigeria alongside Benin, Ethiopia, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, Togo, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Speaking directly to young American entrepreneurs, he advocated for the possibilities Africa offered, saying: “Don’t be lazy. Go there and find the real story for yourself. Things have changed.”