Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote shelved plans to extend his vast business empire to Kenya, after being put off by top decision makers in the country whom he has described as “more corrupt than Nigerians.”
Celebrated media personality Jeff Koinange recently made the revelation from a private conversation he had with the Nigerian billionaire businessman.
Speaking on his breakfast show on local FM station, Koinange shared details of his chat with Dangote whom he meet when attended the tycoon’s daughter’s wedding in Nigeria last month.
“I asked him, ‘Al Hajj when are you coming back to Kenya?’ and he said ‘Jeff, there are people in that place (Kenya) who put greed and personal interest ahead of national interest. I didn’t think Kenya would be more corrupt that Nigeria.’” Koinange narrated on air.
Dangote, who has been estimated to be Sh1.5 trillion by Forbes, visited Kenya in September 2013 as part of a high-powered delegation of 50 wealthy Nigerian businessmen accompany the country’s then president President Goodluck Jonathan.
It thereafter emerged that Dangote was interested in setting up a cement factory in Kenya, an investment that was projected to be worth Sh100 billion.
Nothing has happened since, amid reports that he had a change of heart and relocated the project to Ethiopia and Zambia.
Koinange is a close friend of Dangote, a relationship that blossomed when the award winning journalist was a corespondent of the Cable News Network (CNN) in Nigeria.
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