In spite of the biting economic recession, it is not all gloom for the country. One of world’s most respected magazines, Forbes, recently ranked Alhaji Aliko Dangote as one of the most powerful individuals in the world. In this, he is ranked among global political figures like the newly elected President of United States Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The President of Dangote Group, Nigeria’s biggest business conglomerate, first featured on the exclusive list of world’s powerful people in 2013 when he was ranked the 71st most powerful person in the world and the only African to crack the list. This year’s ranking sees him move up to 68th in the world and second in Africa behind Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who is placed 44th on the list.

Expectedly, the top places on the list are dominated by very visible global figures who have been making waves for right or wrong reasons. Vladimir Putin, the aggressive Russian president, sits atop the list as the most powerful person in the world, followed by Donald W Trump. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is third while Chinese premier Xi Jinping is fourth. Social media champion and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is number 10 on the list released by the magazine.