Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has stepped down as Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc, marking the end of an era at Nigeria’s largest cement producer. The company announced the retirement following a board meeting held on July 25, 2025.
In a major leadership transition, the board has appointed Emmanuel Ikazoboh as the new Chairman, effective immediately. Ikazoboh, a seasoned executive, previously served as Chairman of Deloitte West and Central Africa and has held various board positions across the private and public sectors.
The board also announced the retirement of Dorothy Ufot, SAN, from the company’s board. Also, the board approved the appointment of Mariya Aliko Dangote, daughter of the outgoing chairman, as a Non-Executive Director.
Mariya holds a law degree from Bayero University and an MBA from Coventry University in the UK. She has held key strategic roles within the Dangote Group, including her current role as Executive Director, Operations at Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc. She also serves on the boards of Dangote–Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited and the Al-Ummah Development Foundation.
The transitions are driven by Dangote’s intention to direct his focus toward focus the Dangote Refinery and fertilizer companies. In June, he also resigned as Chairman of the Dangote Sugar Refinery, with Arnold Ekpe, former CEO of Ecobank Transnational replacing him.
Aliko Dangote’s leadership of Dangote Cement saw the company’s production capacity increase 52 million tonnes per annum across 10 African countries. It is currently the largest cement maker in Sub-Saharan Africa.
By David Olujinmi @BusinessDay
