LAGOS, Nigeria —The chaotic color of the megalopolis cascades past the window of his silver Mercedes SUV. A police escort with a flashing blue light clears the road ahead. Restless and irritated, the billionaire is in his bubble. With a slim, elegant finger, he prods his cellphone screen to redial after the call drops. He grills a squirming subordinate about a production problem that has persisted all week. The call drops again. A small sigh. He redials. “The day before yesterday you gave me a different excuse. Let’s see what excuse you will give me today.” His voice is calm, his brow furrowed ever so slightly. “Go and get your act together, please,” he says. “This matter is a disaster.” Aliko Dangote is the richest man in Africa. He dwarfs diamond kings, telecom giants and oil magnates, and his estimated $11.2-billion net worth is four times that of Oprah Winfrey’s. His only rival on Forbes’ global list of black billionaires is a Saudi of Yemeni-Ethiopian parentage who recently nudged Dangote from the top spot, thanks to a decline in Nigeria’s stock exchange. Read more at. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-nigeria-billionaire-20120426,0,2066157.story

www.africagist.com