Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has said he can sleep in the worst hotel, stressing the importance of humility and simplicity regardless of one’s wealth or social status.
Dangote spoke at an event tagged Vision 2030 on Monday, where he also accepted an invitation from content creator Adebayo Ridwan, popularly known as Bae U Barbie, to appear on his YouTube show, Curiosity Made Me Ask.
The billionaire said he believed in living simply and not allowing wealth or achievements to make people feel superior to others.
“And also to show people that, look, in life, you have to be as simple as you can, because anybody can be anybody,” he said.
Explaining his approach to life, Dangote said he could adapt to basic accommodation despite his status as a billionaire industrialist.
“Today, if you take me to anywhere, if you take me to the worst hotel, I can sleep, I can have my shower, I can live,” he said.
“So because life is about simplicity, and make sure that, look, don’t take yourself up there,” he added.
Dangote illustrated his point with an anecdote about his friendship with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, whom he said had served for eight years without using a driver.
He recalled that during a visit to launch a fertiliser plant, he asked the Ethiopian leader why he did not have a driver.
According to Dangote, the prime minister explained that his wife was driving him.
The businessman’s remarks came after Bae U invited him to appear on Curiosity Made Me Ask, arguing that younger Nigerians needed opportunities to hear directly from prominent business leaders.
Bae U noted that many of Dangote’s previous interviews had appeared on platforms that younger audiences did not typically watch, despite their interest in his business and its planned initial public offering.
Responding to the invitation, Dangote said younger Nigerians represented the future and that older generations needed to share their experiences with them.
“Honestly, the future that we have is actually you, the youth. We, our own generation really, we have not really done very well for Nigeria and also for Africa. That’s the truth,” he said.
He added, “So we need to sit down with some of you and discuss our own experience with you.”
Dangote said younger audiences were important because they continued to show him support and respect.
The billionaire also explained why he readily takes photographs with members of the public, despite his position.
He recalled an experience from his youth when he and his late grandfather met prominent personalities in Washington and asked to take photographs with them.
Dangote said the experience influenced his decision to oblige people who approached him for photographs.