okosodo:
These men are ordinary without past military presidents and uneven playing grounds for investors

that's not true

naptu2:
While not disagreeing with you, I'm curious, who was the past military president at the time of Alhassan Dantata's death in 1955?

no mind that guy

Jarus:
It's a pity that even when the hardwork, commitment and vision of these men are clearly stated in the write-ups, some people still believe some 'military head of state' was the one that made them.
Can't we for once believe in this country that wealth can still be acquired through hardwork?

Dangote got 500k in 1978 and was already a multi-millionaire in the 90's before ever coming across government, yet some people dismiss him as just an opportunist with no business sense. I find this mentality among Nigerians annoying.

Some of them think that way to console themselves as to why they are not successful themselves

Callotti:
Which kain ye ye hard work?
Of course the military made them.
Otherwise all those Onitsha and Alaba traders living in 10-decking semi-collapsing lop-sided buildings(like Mexicans and Koreans all over the USA from generation to generation). . .cutting school and slaving away in China and Vietnam would have smelled 1 million dollars not to mention 1 billion dollars.
Abi awusa man get business sense pass Igbo man? Lai lai!!!!

Who una wan deceive?
Mtcheeeeeeeeeeew!

Which kain sugar, cement and rice Dangote dey sell wey no dey smell recession?

Abeg, make we hia word!
ShioooooooooooYOR!

what is this one saying?

baslone:
What is this one saying?

I wonder

buJu234:
these are the men that walk with success principle of vision; handwork; patient equal success.

but today Nigerians are the sharp sharp profit; quick quick riches; Jehovah sharp sharp people..etc

that's why our Nation failing every day; every one wants a bribe; scam; uncompleted projects by contractors; low quality products etc..

exactly

Hard work pays
building your wealth on solid foundation is key

You don't see that much in Nigeria

It's rent seeking every where

Dede1:
@POST


“When Alhaji Alhassan Dantata died in August 1955, he was the wealthiest man of any race in West Africa”. What a load of crap. By the way, what is actually wrong with Nigerians?

When alleged death of Dantata came in 1955, Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu was the only millionaire on the surface of Africa. Alhassan Dantata could not compete with the likes of Chief Greene Mbadiwe or Chief A Akwuiwu. Ojukwu along with Britain and British companies such John Holt built Apapa Wharf.

Dantata & Sons would have remained groundnut selling outfit if not for the massive contracts Nigerian government awarded to it during the Nigeria/Biafra civil war.

Anybody who read the post strictly between lines would have discovered Dantata and Dangote would have remained a Kano State’s hauling outfits baring massive overinflated and questionable contracts awarded to them by State and Federal governments of Nigeria.

Dantata was richer than any Ojukwu then....

I'm.surprised any one is disputing that

Jarus:
Tribalizing the issue again.

I have argued on NL here about 2 years ago, when Al-Hassan and Loius Ojukwu were alive, Dantata was almost unanimously recognized as the richest West African then. L. Ojukwu lived longer so may have been the richest after Dantata died. But what is known from history is that Al-Hassan Dantata was the richest Nigerian of his generation. No need to tribalize issue, it's a fact, just as Abiola was undisputably regarded as Nigeria's richest in his own time too.

Probably in their generations:
Al-Hassan Dantata
Loius Ojukwu
Aminu Dantata
M.K.O Abiola
Aliko Dangote

truth to this

naptu2:
Lessons from the Dantata/Dangote story:

1) Do not get involved in partisan politics, but make sure you are close to the authorities (Chief MKO Abiola would have benefited from this advice).


2) Do not be overly flamboyant or ostentatious (it breeds jealousy, envy and hatred). Again, Chief Abiola would have benefited from this advice.


3) As a family unit, you gain more from cooperation than from conflict (he advised them to continue to marry within the family and to take care of the poorer members of the family). Note that Aliko Dangote worked for Abdulkadir Sanusi Dantata and got a business loan from him. Sayyu Dantata worked for Aliko Dangote and got his business idea while serving as chief executive of Dangote Transport. Witness what is happening in the Abiola and Ibru families.


4) Education is important. Make sure you know about the business you are involved in and that you have broad knowledge that would assist you in future. Alhassan had an advantage over other Kano merchants because he understood basic english and basic accounting, enough to help him in his dealings with others.

5) Volume trading: As much as possible, make sure you are the dominant player in your area of business, such that you can control events and prices within that sector.

lessons learnt

naptu2:
Alhassan and some of the other wealthy men I will write about made their money from the sale and transport of commodities like cocoa, kola nut, groundnut, etc. Unfortunately, Nigeria's overdependence on revenue from crude oil sales has diminished interest in this trade.

Alhassan's role in the purchase of kola nuts from forest areas of Nigeria for sale in the North was so great, that eventually whole “kola trains” from the Western Region were filled with his nuts alone.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo encouraged Coca Cola to set up shop in Ibadan (Kola was one of the main ingredients in Coca Cola at the time and is still used in some cola drinks). Unfortunately the plant was closed down in 2009 because of the unfriendly manufacturing environment in the country ( https://www.nairaland.com/326697/coca-cola-closes-last-concentrate-factory ).

Cocoa is grown in the south west, but we have not seen any plan by the governments of the region to boost production/improve the quality of cocoa produced.

In the north, Sir Ahmadu Bello created grazing areas where cattle rearers could feed their cattle. It was expected that subsequent governments would improve on this by providing irrigation, veterinary services, meat and milk processing factories, etc, but alas, the grazing areas have been abandoned. Alhassan also made money from the sale of precious stones, but this sector has largely been abandoned because state governments are dependent on crude oil windfall from Abuja.

In the south-south, farmlands that could have been used to cultivate palm trees and rivers and creeks that should have yielded fish have been polluted with crude oil.

I believe that in order to reverse this situation we need to implement the following measure.

If any resource (crude oil, solid minerals, fertile land, business opportunity, etc) is found on a piece of land, the resource and the revenue that accrues from it should belong to the individual who owns the land. He should then pay tax to the local government, which would also pay tax to the state government and the state government would in turn remit tax to the federal government. The tax revenue will be shared in this formula; 25% to the local government, 30% to the state government, 20% to the Federal Government and the remaining 25% should be used for emergency purposes (flood, drought, etc).

The federal government should relinquish some of its powers and responsibilities, which would subsequently be borne by state governments, local governments or the private sector. Such responsibilities include electricity generation and supply and road construction and maintenance.

I'm learning a whole lot

follow up

Callotti:


Moo moooooo! Was Ojukwu a billionaire too?
We are talking of dynasty of billionaires, not failed 'Osondi Owendi' Upper Iweka Road VCD merchants.
Or failed para-military traitors and exilees from Abijan.
It is 'FORBES' not FROBE'S. Abi is that from the 'Biafran' dictionary?
Keep sniffing. That is as close as you can ever get my son.