In Africa, Billionaire businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote deserves a gigantic monument of him erected around the African soil also his business strategies of staying afloat needed to be studied by students looking to get a degree in business-related fields. The generous moneybag does not court media attention needlessly. Yet, almost every move he makes, either in his business or private life, has never escaped the attention of newshounds. He has remained a delight to professional journalists and biographers across the continent. If you choose to scribble his uncommon feats as a businessman, you will come up with volumes of work that will most likely intimidate a bibliophile. In the same way, if you choose to document his philanthropic acts, in black and white, your hand may grow tired.

Although, His life in entirety is a compelling study in determination, focus and ambition. Like every creature, this amiable billionaire too has his own humble beginning. But his humble beginning, will inspire any ambitious soul, any day and any time. As a young man, he had a clear vision of what he wanted to do later in life and he pursued it with unwavering doggedness. Though he started out as a trader at 21, he is today Africa’s leading businessman. His chain of companies is spread across 16 countries around the world and he has over 15,000 people on his payroll.

 As an entrepreneur, he always sees vast opportunities, while others are bogged down by morbid fear of failure. A few years ago, in his quest of cutting out Nigeria’s import of refined crude products, he conceived the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. The Kano Forbes rated Africa’s richest man invested over $20b to ensure the project is complete to meet Nigeria’s crude need and also for exportation. The project will see Nigeria save $10Bn and also generate another $10Bn in export. As the refined product will meet Euro V specifications. This will ensure stability in our economy and solidify the Naira. As the project is set to commission for full operation by President tomorrow Monday the 22^nd of May, business pundit has averred that when production and operation take off at full capacity of 650,000Barrels Per Day, the refinery will be a game changer that will put Nigeria on the world map and also open the country to more trade and life-changing opportunities because it’s designed to process large varieties of crude including many African crude, middle east crudes and the US light Tight Oil. Today, the visionary businessman has built the largest sugar factory in the whole of Africa, the largest cement factory in the continent, largest flour mill in the continent while his completed refinery is one of the largest in the world.

 Apart from his business acumen, he is also a philanthropist of note. He has collaborated with the Bill Gates Foundation to invest in the provision of health, especially the eradication of polio in Africa and other parts of the world, where the disease is still prevalent.

 

‘Be the start of something that is good, revolutionary and powerful. Everything after that is a bonus!’

The OANDO group and its team of experts must have had the above quote by Carlos Wallace in mind when they embarked on the journey to revolutionise motoring in Nigeria and introduced the first set of fuel-less vehicles into the system.

Determined to be part of the revolution to end air pollution which ultimately has been made worse by the emission of toxic elements destroying our planet, the Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL) made history with its inroad into the transportation business in Lagos State.

The organisation, in April 2023 acquired and took delivery of an undisclosed number of electric vehicles from Chinese carmaker, Yutong Bus.

OCEL is the clean energy arm of Oando Plc, largely owned by Wale Tinubu. His company had earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lagos State Government through the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) on April 28, 2022.

Following the delivery of the vehicles to OCEL, curious Nigerians have been asking questions about the viability of electric vehicles in the country. Expectedly, this elicited a robust response from the company when it took to its Twitter Handle to express its readiness to kick-start the novel project.

The company said: “Following our recent announcement about introducing electric mass transit buses in Lagos State, we noticed many questions about the viability of electric vehicles in our terrain, battery lifespan, and more. But don’t worry; we have got you covered!

“So, let us challenge ourselves to reach new heights, to discover new horizons, and to achieve greatness.

“For it is through our willingness to dream big and take bold action that we can create a better tomorrow for ourselves and those around us.

“Great ideas have the power to transform the impossible into the possible. They inspire us to see the world in a new light and to push beyond our boundaries.”

The company also took time to explain how the fuelless vehicles would be put to use in Nigeria. “Our electric buses can travel up to 280km on a full battery charge, which is equivalent to a round trip from Ajah to Ibadan!

“Additionally, the regenerative braking system helps the battery to last longer and reduces maintenance costs.”

Meanwhile, commenting on the acquisition and deal between the state and his firm, Wale Tinubu, who is the Chairman of OCEL, said: “The arrival of our electric mass transit buses and development of an EV infrastructure ecosystem is a reminder that the only way to remain ahead of the curve is by being unafraid to break new ground and consistently looking for opportunities to leapfrog.

“Public-Private Partnerships have been critical to getting the project to this point and will continue to fuel our expansion across the entire country.

“The commencement of this project gives us a platform to showcase to other States what is possible and open the door for engagements on bespoke solutions to suit their local needs as well as act as a model to be adopted by other organizations looking to venture into sustainable transportation.”

Access Bank PLC, the flagship company of Access Holdings PLC, has officially launched its subsidiary in Paris, France. The Bank’s operations will focus on trade finance, initially capitalising on flows between Africa and France, particularly Francophone Africa.

Herbert Wigwe, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings PLC, speaking on the purpose of the Bank’s strategic expansion efforts said, “Access Bank PLC, today, has a very strong presence in the United Kingdom, but coming on the heels of Brexit, there was a need for us to establish a presence in another country in Europe and France provides a very strong platform for us to do so. Beyond that, Access Bank has a great presence in the Francophone world that relies significantly – in terms of trade – on France, so, Access Bank in Paris will work to support trade possibilities and trade finance solutions to businesses in those regions, ranging from large conglomerates to SMEs and more.

“Our range of banking products and services will be a valuable asset for businesses looking to trade internationally, while our corporate and investment banking services will help businesses access capital, manage their cash flow, and mitigate risk. Furthermore, we are confident that the Bank’s trade finance solutions will help businesses to navigate the complexities of cross-border trade, and at the same time, our digital capabilities will make banking more convenient and efficient for all our customers,” he reiterated.

Recognising the critical role of the Bank’s various stakeholders in making the expansion drive successful, Wigwe stressed the value of its customers, shareholders, regulators, and the communities it operates.

“Our successes over the years would be footnotes but for the relationships we have fostered with these critical contributors. In recognition of this, we are committed to building long-term partnerships with all our stakeholders in France – based on trust, transparency, and mutual respect,” he added.

Access Bank’s presence in France represents an important step towards achieving its goal of bridging worlds and connecting opportunities for African businesses. The Bank’s latest stride also lays a marker for realising its recently unveiled 5-year strategic growth plan.

“Over the years, we have demonstrated a strong commitment to deepening the Bank’s presence across Africa and beyond,” remarked Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director, Access Bank PLC, at the launch. “Today, we are proud to have a presence in 18 countries across four continents, serving millions of customers and businesses. Indeed, our expansion drive has been guided by our vision to become the world’s most respected African bank, and by building on our strong track record of innovation, customer service, and social responsibility, we have come one step closer to achieving this goal.

“We remain committed to building a bank that is truly global in scope, yet locally relevant in its approach, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to grow and expand our footprint in new markets,” Ogbonna concluded.

Access Bank UK, led by Jamie Simmonds, will oversee the operations of the Paris subsidiary and will effectively become the umbrella company for other representative offices in the country.

With the launch of its operations in France, Access Bank is uniquely positioned to create opportunities for scaled economic growth and development across Africa while helping international investors see the continent as a viable market to do business. To facilitate the flow of capital, goods, and services across borders and support economic growth and development in both regions of focus, the Bank will leverage its expertise in cross-continental trade and its strong network of partners and clients.