“I had my first private jet at 22” — Aliko Dangote
President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has disclosed that he bought his first private jet at the age of 22 and a half, reflecting on how far he has come in his business career.
Dangote made the disclosure on Monday in Lagos while speaking at the Nigerian Exchange during the formal launch of the Initial Public Offering of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals.
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The billionaire businessman used the occasion to reflect on his journey in business, saying he had enjoyed his career but now placed greater emphasis on investments that contribute to economic production.
According to Dangote, he no longer attaches the same importance to private travel and would be comfortable using commercial flights when necessary.
“My career as a businessman, I really had a great time. I was telling somebody that right now I don’t mind, I can take commercial, I can take anything. I had my first private jet at 22 and a half years old,” he said.
Dangote also challenged wealthy Nigerians to channel more of their resources into productive ventures rather than spending heavily on luxury assets.
He specifically appealed to Nigerians capable of purchasing extremely expensive private aircraft to consider investing comparable amounts in businesses and industries that can create economic value.
“I try as much as I can to encourage people who are riding $900 million aircraft to please go and put that into production. We are not going to be a great nation without doing something productive,” Dangote said.
His comments came against the backdrop of the listing process for Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, a development that further highlights his emphasis on large-scale industrial investment.
Dangote has consistently positioned manufacturing and industrial production as important to Nigeria’s economic development, particularly through investments aimed at reducing dependence on imports and strengthening domestic capacity.
Watch the video here….
I had my first private jet at 22 and a half years old. I try as much as I can to encourage people who are riding $900 million aircraft to please go and put that into production. We are not going to be a great nation without doing something productive. It took me 30 minutes to… pic.twitter.com/dBT8n4gkU2
— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) September 14, 2026