It’s the Jollof Derby as we take on our West African sisters, Ghana, in a behind-closed-doors friendly, our final tune-up before WAFCON 2024 kicks off!
No broadcast for tactical reasons, but we’ll keep you posted with key updates and the full-time result.
One last battle before the big stage, let’s finish strong.
Today, the biggest combination of an amusement park and water park in the south east – and, as it were, in Nigeria – will be opened to the public and its customers with a mega fiesta, which will feature music maestros and entertainers such as Flavour, Umu Obiligbo, Jeriq, Apete and the likes. This complex, also known as ‘Solution Fun City’, was commissioned last month by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The 12.7 hectares Solution Fun City competes with the likes of Hi-Impact Planet in Ogun State and Giwa Gardens Water Park in Lagos. The Solution Fun City has features such as roller coaster, Ferris Wheel (38m diameter), drop tower, pirate ship, merry-go-round, carousel, Olympic-sized and kids’ swimming pools, island pools, water slides, aqua towers, paintball, indoor arcades, indoor cinemas, virtual reality and gaming zones, bowling alleys, tennis courts, basketball courts, five-a-side football court, volley ball court, etc. It also has a Country Club with spas, gyms, swimming pool and restaurants. It is designed to be carbon neutral with the beautiful landscaping, lawns and ornamental trees.
The Solution Fun City is one of the signature projects by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to transform Anambra into a tourist destination. It is part of Governor Soludo’s tourism and creative economy agenda. It is a flagship project and a proof of concept by the state government in order to spur the private sector to build similar complexes in Anambra. (It is a flagship project that is intended to boost investor confidence in Anambra’s development agenda). It is meant to catalyze tourism in Anambra.
The Solution Fun City will be independently managed and in the long term it will be privatized and the revenue ploughed back to build more public goods in Anambra. Though the Anambra State Government (ANSG) had to invest in this complex in order to intentionally catalyze tourism in Anambra, this kind of edifice is better managed by the private sector. The Solution Fun City serves as a template, which has been intentionally built by government, to show the private sector that this kind of facility is viable in Anambra. Many more of this will be built in Anambra in the coming years by the private sector.
In order for this complex to be run as an independent entity, it has been registered as Solution Fun City Limited, with a board of directors. Solution Fun City Limited is structured to be able to take independent decisions that would boost the profitability of the Fun City. It will have no interference from government. The Fun City has an Egyptian Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mohammed Faraz, who is well-versed in tourism management. Mr. Mohammed Faraz will be responsible for ensuring that the Fun City provides world-class services. The vision is to get the Solution Fun City managed and run by the best and brightest. Ndi Anambra must get value for the investment in this complex.
The economic and social benefits of the Solution Fun City are enormous.
The Solution Fun City will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. It will help create a skill pool that was hitherto not available in the state. This facility will employ the following specialties: ICT specialists, ride operators, equipment maintenance operators, security service providers, customer service providers, lifeguard services, entertainment, vending and sales, cleaning, etc. The facility will also create indirect jobs for the following: local suppliers, contractors, transport operators, hotels, restaurants, and artisans. It will also provide various kinds of seasonal and permanent jobs.
It will boost tourism income in Anambra by attracting domestic and international tourists, families, school groups, fun seekers and corporate social events. It will impact hotel bookings, food sales and general spending in Anambra. It will have an impact on the government revenue through its multiplier effects.
The Solution Fun City will help provide a safe and structured leisure location for young people. It will support community cohesion through recreational events. The Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Faraz, says the entry fees into the Fun City were made affordable so that people can enjoy themselves without spending so much. “The minimum price for entry is N400 and to play a game is N1,000 and I believe they are reasonable”, Mr. Faraz remarked. At the same time, the Fun City will be professionally run in other to maximize the return on investment. It is an economic asset for Ndi Anambra.
Most importantly, it will help enhance Awka’s brand as a modern city, a vibrant place to live, work, play and invest.
Many more of this kind of facility is expected to spring up in Anambra. The future of Anambra is bright and Anambra is on the rise!
Nwankwo is the special adviser to Soludo on special projects.
JuanDeDios: So Obasanjo is involved in Transcorp and Transcorp was involved in the refinery deal - meaning a seating president sold publicly owned companies to a consortium he was involved in.
In today's episode of infractions no one would even notice or talk about in Nigeria.
It was a huge issue back then. Obasanjo provided a response because of the backlash. He said that the shares were in a blind trust (meaning that he owned them but had no control over them). I can't remember very well, but I think he ended up selling them because of the controversy.
Freshtruth: The man who gave dangote 500k to start business so they claim they wan use motivation with lies pie Nigerians
The man that gave Dangote the business loan was his uncle, Abdulkadir Sanusi Dantata (his mother's brother). The person that died was his granduncle, Aminu Dantata (Dangote's grandfather's brother. That is, his mother's father's brother).
Today, the biggest combination of an amusement park and water park in the south east – and, as it were, in Nigeria – will be opened to the public and its customers with a mega fiesta, which will feature music maestros and entertainers such as Flavour, Umu Obiligbo, Jeriq, Apete and the likes. This complex, also known as ‘Solution Fun City’, was commissioned last month by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The 12.7 hectares Solution Fun City competes with the likes of Hi-Impact Planet in Ogun State and Giwa Gardens Water Park in Lagos. The Solution Fun City has features such as roller coaster, Ferris Wheel (38m diameter), drop tower, pirate ship, merry-go-round, carousel, Olympic-sized and kids’ swimming pools, island pools, water slides, aqua towers, paintball, indoor arcades, indoor cinemas, virtual reality and gaming zones, bowling alleys, tennis courts, basketball courts, five-a-side football court, volley ball court, etc. It also has a Country Club with spas, gyms, swimming pool and restaurants. It is designed to be carbon neutral with the beautiful landscaping, lawns and ornamental trees.
The Solution Fun City is one of the signature projects by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to transform Anambra into a tourist destination. It is part of Governor Soludo’s tourism and creative economy agenda. It is a flagship project and a proof of concept by the state government in order to spur the private sector to build similar complexes in Anambra. (It is a flagship project that is intended to boost investor confidence in Anambra’s development agenda). It is meant to catalyze tourism in Anambra.
The Solution Fun City will be independently managed and in the long term it will be privatized and the revenue ploughed back to build more public goods in Anambra. Though the Anambra State Government (ANSG) had to invest in this complex in order to intentionally catalyze tourism in Anambra, this kind of edifice is better managed by the private sector. The Solution Fun City serves as a template, which has been intentionally built by government, to show the private sector that this kind of facility is viable in Anambra. Many more of this will be built in Anambra in the coming years by the private sector.
In order for this complex to be run as an independent entity, it has been registered as Solution Fun City Limited, with a board of directors. Solution Fun City Limited is structured to be able to take independent decisions that would boost the profitability of the Fun City. It will have no interference from government. The Fun City has an Egyptian Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mohammed Faraz, who is well-versed in tourism management. Mr. Mohammed Faraz will be responsible for ensuring that the Fun City provides world-class services. The vision is to get the Solution Fun City managed and run by the best and brightest. Ndi Anambra must get value for the investment in this complex.
The economic and social benefits of the Solution Fun City are enormous.
The Solution Fun City will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. It will help create a skill pool that was hitherto not available in the state. This facility will employ the following specialties: ICT specialists, ride operators, equipment maintenance operators, security service providers, customer service providers, lifeguard services, entertainment, vending and sales, cleaning, etc. The facility will also create indirect jobs for the following: local suppliers, contractors, transport operators, hotels, restaurants, and artisans. It will also provide various kinds of seasonal and permanent jobs.
It will boost tourism income in Anambra by attracting domestic and international tourists, families, school groups, fun seekers and corporate social events. It will impact hotel bookings, food sales and general spending in Anambra. It will have an impact on the government revenue through its multiplier effects.
The Solution Fun City will help provide a safe and structured leisure location for young people. It will support community cohesion through recreational events. The Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Faraz, says the entry fees into the Fun City were made affordable so that people can enjoy themselves without spending so much. “The minimum price for entry is N400 and to play a game is N1,000 and I believe they are reasonable”, Mr. Faraz remarked. At the same time, the Fun City will be professionally run in other to maximize the return on investment. It is an economic asset for Ndi Anambra.
Most importantly, it will help enhance Awka’s brand as a modern city, a vibrant place to live, work, play and invest.
Many more of this kind of facility is expected to spring up in Anambra. The future of Anambra is bright and Anambra is on the rise!
Nwankwo is the special adviser to Soludo on special projects.
Flavour, other artists thrill crowd as Anambra unveils Solution Fun City
28th June 2025
The Anambra State government on Saturday officially opened the Solution Fun City in Awka, the state capital, for commercial use and other recreational purposes.
Recall that the Solution Fun City, part of the legacy projects built by the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, was commissioned by President Bola Tinubu during a one-day official visit to Anambra on May 8.
The opening ceremony featured top Nigerian musicians, such as Chinedu Okoli, popularly known by his stage name as “Flavour”, who led other artistes to entertain the mammoth crowd during the opening ceremony attended by the state governor.
The occasion featured high-energy performances by Flavour, who delighted attendees of a diverse crowd of dignitaries, showcasing the state-of-the-art facilities aimed at boosting tourism and providing a recreational hub for ndị Anambra.
Soludo, who was at the event, expressed optimism while highlighting the significance of the structure in boosting the entertainment industry and enhancing community engagement by creating economic opportunities for residents.
During his address at the opening, Soludo reaffirmed the state’s commitment to promoting creativity and innovation as basic components of its developmental agenda.
Soludo said, “After the formal commissioning by President Bola Tinubu, the Fun City is now officially open for business for people of all ages.
“With the launch of Solution Fun City which has a water park, leisure park and a world class country club, Anambra State is poised to establish itself further as a leading destination for arts and entertainment in Nigeria, creating lasting memories for visitors and residents alike.”
After the governor’s speech, Flavour, known for his fusion of traditional and contemporary Nigerian music, took the centre stage with captivating performances that had the audience singing along and dancing.
His energetic set was complemented by a lineup of other talented artists, showcasing the rich cultural prowess of Anambra’s creative scene, as the likes of Umu Obiligbo, Jennifer Eliogu, MC Ezegetive among others, also performed.
The Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Somtochukwu Udeze, business mogul, Chief Emeka Offor, top Nollywood actors and actresses, among others, graced the occasion.
Senator Kalu Mourns Eminent Businessman Aminu Dantata
Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has mourned the passing of renowned businessman and elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, who died at the age of 94.
In a statement on Saturday, Senator Kalu described the late Dantata as a towering figure in Nigeria’s business landscape, whose integrity, philanthropy, and wisdom contributed immensely to national development.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Alhaji Aminu Dantata — a foremost industrialist, philanthropist, and a highly respected elder.
"He was a father figure not only to the Northern business community but to Nigeria as a whole. His legacy of humility, generosity, and service to humanity will never be forgotten,” Kalu stated.
He further noted that Dantata's investments in education, industry, and faith-based causes shaped the lives of millions across generations, especially in Northern Nigeria.
“He lived a fulfilled life and left behind a name synonymous with dignity and excellence. Nigeria has indeed lost one of its finest sons,” the senator added.
On behalf of the people of Abia North Senatorial District, Senator Kalu extended his heartfelt condolences to the children and grandchildren of the late Dantata—many of whom shared close personal bonds with him—as well as to the government and people of Kano State.
He prayed for the peaceful repose of the deceased’s soul and consoled the bereaved family, urging them to take solace in the remarkable life their patriarch lived and the indelible mark he left on the nation.
I mourn the passing of our father, an elder statesman, industrialist, business mogul and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, who died this morning. He spent his life worshipping Allah SWT and in the service of humanity.
I extend my heartfelt condolences to his immediate family, the Kano business community, and the entire people of our state, Kano. Indeed, we have lost a father whose role in the development of our state and, indeed, the country cannot be overemphasised.
His highly cherished business acumen, exemplary philanthropy and interventions will continue to inspire us. He was a symbol of integrity.
May Allah SWT grant Alhaji Aminu Dantata Aljannatul Firdausi.
May Allah SWT give his immediate family and all of us the strength to bear this loss.
The passing of Alhaji Aminu Dantata, a patriarch of industry, philanthropy, and public virtue, marks the end of an era and the loss of one of the last great custodians of Nigeria’s moral and entrepreneurial heritage.
Alhaji Dantata was not merely a business icon he was a conscience of his generation. Through quiet philanthropy, principled leadership, and an unshakable commitment to the upliftment of society, he etched his name into the soul of our nation. His humility in affluence, wisdom in counsel, and generosity in service made him a pillar of not just Kano but of Nigeria’s moral and developmental landscape.
As we bid farewell to this titan of integrity and compassion, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, the Kano Emirate Council, and the people of Nigeria. May Almighty Allah (SWT) forgive his shortcomings, multiply his rewards, and grant him eternal repose in Aljannatul Firdaus. -AA
PRESIDENT TINUBU MOURNS THE PASSING OF ELDER STATESMAN AND BUSINESS ICON, ALHAJI AMINU DANTATA AT 94
President Bola Tinubu mourns the passing of Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, an elder statesman, business mogul, and philanthropist.
Dantata, who passed away at 94 in the early hours of Saturday, was a renowned and accomplished businessman.
President Tinubu described Dantata's death as a monumental national loss because of his sterling contributions to Nigeria's economic growth and development.
In addition to his long-standing and reputed business acumen, the late Dantata served as Commissioner for Planning and Development in the old Kano State, among other public sector roles.
President Tinubu eulogised Dantata for his public-spirited philanthropy, which touched lives, especially in education and healthcare delivery.
The President recalled his relationship with the late mogul, describing his wise counsel and support as deeply encouraging and beneficial.
"With the death of Alhaji Dantata today, we lost a prominent business mogul, patriot, and elder statesman who contributed significantly to the growth and development of our nation.
"Alhaji Dantata will be remembered for his industry, diligence, steadfastness, and great commitment to national unity through his many business ventures and philanthropic activities that touched countless lives of Nigerians," the President declared.
President Tinubu sends his heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, the Government, and the people of Kano State on the death of Nigeria's illustrious son.
Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) June 28, 2025
The donation circuit was not a formal organisation, but it’s the way that I refer to a phenomenon that occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s (the Babangida era).
Some of Nigeria’s wealthiest men were often invited to specific events in which they donated large sums of money. These events included fund raising in churches and mosques, university convocations, book launching and fund raising activities by universities, secondary schools, community development associations and charities.
It was usually the same set of people that were invited to these events. The president was usually the special guest of honour (when he was invited), the governor was usually the chief host, the head of the institution was usually the host, Chief Abiola was usually the chief launcher and other members of the donation circuit were usually special guests.
There was a day that I watched the 9 o’clock news and there was an advert for one of these events and the invited guests were listed. There was another advert immediately after and the list of invited guests was almost exactly the same as the list in the previous advert.
The members of the donation circuit included Chief MKO Abiola, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Chief Sunny Odogwu, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, Chief Razak Okoya, Prince Adedapo Tejuosho, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki, Prince Adekunle Ojora, Chief Onwuka Kalu (Onwuka Inter-Biz), Alhaji Ahmed Mai Deribe, Chief Michael Ibru, Dr Alex Ibru, Chief Sunny Okogwu, Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, Alhaji Grema Mohammed, Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe, Alhaji Isyaku Rabiu, Dr Olusola Saraki, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, etc.
Members of the original committee that was set up by President Babangida to build a new national stadium in Abuja were drawn from members of the donation circuit. Chief MKO Abiola was the chairman and chiefs Sunny Odogwu, Gabriel Igbinedion, etc. were members of the committee (I can still remember the news item about the inauguration of the committee on the Network News). The committee was charged with raising funds for the stadium, selecting a location for the stadium, etc.
The president, who was the visitor to the federal universities, often attended convocations and fund raising events at these universities and he usually donated some money (usually millions of naira) on behalf of the Federal Government and he usually made a second donation (usually thousands of naira) on behalf of himself and his family. The president also sometimes donated money to groups like PMAN and the Nigerian Bar Association.
Chief Gani Fawehinmi sued President Babangida because of these donations. He said that the other members of the donation circuit were private people who were donating their own money, but the president was donating government money. “Were the funds that were donated in the budget? What gave the president the right to spend money that was not in the budget?”
Sometimes, when the event was a book launch, one of the members of the donation circuit would buy a large number of the books and donate them to the libraries of all universities in Nigeria (or the libraries of all secondary schools in Nigeria).
Chief MKO Abiola attended a lot of these events. Quite often in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the first item on the 9 o’clock news was about President Babangida, while the second item was often about Chief Abiola. I remember a particular day that they showed him attending an event in one city and then the next news item was about another event that he attended in another town on that same day and we were wondering how he went from one event to the other. Well, they showed him getting into a helicopter at the end of the second news item, so he flew by helicopter from one event to the other. Chief Abiola donated to schools, churches, mosques, charities, etc. He donated to causes and institutions across the whole of Nigeria, from Lagos to Maiduguri, from Calabar to Sokoto, from Kano to Port Harcourt and everywhere in between.
These events were not without their controversies and strange incidents.
The protocol back in the day was that the doors were locked whenever either President Babangida or Admiral Aikhomu arrived at the venue of an event and nobody is allowed in or out until either the president or the CGS is ready to leave. There was an event at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, a regular venue for these fund raising events back in the day. Both Admiral Aikhomu and President Babangida were already in the hall. Chief MKO Abiola arrived late and the SSS guards at the door refused to allow him into the hall. He identified himself, showed them his invitation card and did everything that he could to get in, but they would not allow anyone in, no matter who the person was. There was commotion at the door. He was eventually able to give a message to someone that was already in the hall and the person got the message to Admiral Aikhomu. The CGS sent his ADC to tell the guards at the door to let Chief Abiola in.
(This is one of two incidents that Chief Abiola had with security agencies c1992. The other was the incident that involved Deji Abiola and an Air Force officer in Ikeja).
There was a funny incident that occurred at one of these events. Alhaji Aminu Dantata was often invited to these events, but he was not a regular member of the donation circuit. He only attended the events occasionally. I remember what happened at an occasion that he attended.
Chief Abiola had already announced his donation before Dantata was invited to make his donation. Alhaji Dantata’s donation was slightly higher than Chief Abiola’s. Sometime later Chief Abiola came back to the microphone and announced that he was going to pledge more money later.
This particular incident is not connected to Chief Abiola in any way, but it was probably the most bizarre incident to happen on the donation circuit.
I was ill and a lot of people came to check up on me. It was a Saturday and the TV was on and the NTA News came on while we were watching it. There was a report about one of these fund raising events. It was a small event, only one of the members of the donation circuit was present and that was Chief Sunny Okogwu (not to be confused with Chief Sunny Odogwu).
They announced the amount of money that he donated and one of the women that came to see me screamed. It was a crazy amount of money. “Where did he get that kind of money?” she shouted.
That incident dominated the headlines the next day and then came an explanation from Chief Okogwu. (I can’t remember the exact amounts, so the figures here are just for illustration purposes). He said that the organisers of the event wanted to raise 50 million naira for a project. The organisers probably did not expect him to actually attend the event. When they saw him at the event, they jacked up the figure to 200 million naira and tried to cajole him to donate a lot of money. This angered him and he decided to punish the organisers. He announced that he was donating 1 billion naira, but, in actual fact, he did not intent to give them a kobo.
Chief Abiola’s donations resulted in the construction of at least 63 secondary schools, 121 mosques and churches, 41 libraries and 24 water projects in states across Nigeria. He was the grand patron of 149 societies and associations and he was conferred with 197 chieftaincy titles from 68 communities across Nigeria. He was also conferred with honorary degrees by many universities around the world.
Look at the names of the two highest donors: Alhaji Aminu Dantata and Alhaji Isyaku Rabiu. Aminu Dantata's grandnephew, Aliko Dangote, is currently the richest man in Nigeria, while Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu's son, Abdulsamad Isyaku Rabiu, is currently the second richest man.
Alhaji Dan Kabo of Kabo Airlines also donated some money in the name of Kabo Holdings.
I told you that President Babangida would usually personally donate a few thousand naira and then donate a few million on behalf of the Federal Government. Gani Fawehinmi sued him because of the donations on behalf of government ( "Where did the money come from? How can you donate money that is not budgeted for"? ).
However, in this case Generals Babangida and Abacha only donated personally, there was no donation on behalf of government (probably because the institution was not a government institution).
This was an event for the Kano Foundation which was launched on March 1st, 1986.
Triumph Newspaper is owned by the Kano State Government. It was established by the administration of Governor Rimi in 1980.
Halima Aliko Dangote is a Nigerian businesswoman, philanthropist and entrepreneur. She is Aliko Dangote’s daughter and she holds a bachelors’ degree in marketing from the American Intercontinental University, London, United Kingdom (2005), and a masters’ in business administration obtained from Webster Business School, London, also in the United Kingdom (2006).
She is the Group Executive Director, Commercial Operations of Dangote Group. She also serves on the boards of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) and the National Salt Company of Nigeria (NASCON).
She started her career as a Business Analyst with KPMG Professional Services, Lagos, Nigeria, in 2007, and was primarily involved in business performance improvement processes, development of strategy and models for financial and operational improvements, policy formulation and implementation for public and private sector clients.
In 2008, she joined DIL as a Management Trainee, where she demonstrated competence that led to her being assigned the role of Special Assistant to the President/Chief Executive, with a wide span of responsibilities including attending all meetings—both local and international—with the President/Chief Executive, providing strategic support, and advising on strategy and management decisions.
Halima, who was later appointed pioneer MD/CEO of MHF Properties Limited, Lagos, Nigeria, in 2011, was responsible for setting up and managing the company. She was elevated to the position of Executive Director at NASCON, in 2013, and Executive Director, DIL, in 2014, with specific responsibilities that include: enhancing performance of DIL’s subsidiary companies by ensuring shared services across companies; supporting capital raising initiatives; and putting in place, Group-wide human resources and administration policies and systems.
She is, in addition, responsible for new business development and project management; working closely with the President/CE and other members of the Executive Team to develop geographic and sectoral expansion plans for the Group. She currently serves as a member of the project management team that is overseeing the development and financing of the Group’s newest businesses including an $8billion refinery and a $1.5billion fertiliser plant, both in Nigeria where she scrutinizes and monitor systems, process and outcome. She also represents DIL on the board of directors of NASCON, which generated revenues of $82million and profit after tax of $17million in 2012; focusing on quality, safety, performance and effective governance systems.
Halima was appointed a Trustee of the Dangote Foundation in 2011 with specific mandates that include helping to develop and shape the vision of the Foundation, and working closely with the head of the foundation to define the Foundation’s strategy, set annual targets, monitor performance and impact of grant recipients.
She has attended a number of high profile leadership development programmes both within and outside the country. Some of them include Programme for Leadership Development (PLD) of the Harvard Business School (ongoing); Executive Development Programme, Kellogg School of Management (2013); Finance and Accounting for the Non-Financial Executive, Columbia Business School (2013); and Company Direction Course, Institute of Directors Lagos, Nigeria (2012).
Halima is bringing her diverse international exposure to the business, which is currently at the cusp of a major expansion drive designed to position the Group as a Fortune 100 Company within the next few years.
Halima Aliko Dangote and Didier Drogba discuss philanthropy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYrjwIbstgw Halima Dangote said that the inspiration for their philanthropy comes from her grandmother (Mariya Sanusi Dangote). She said that she and her father lived with her grandmother and she remembers being woken at 12am to go to the hospital to visit the sick. She said that her grandmother believed that you shouldn’t only give to the needy, but you also have to listen to them and understand what they are going through.
Halima Dangote represents her father and delivers the keynote speech at the Africa Business Forum 2019.
Alhaji Sayyu Dantata is the great-grandchild of legendary Kano businessman, Alhaji Alhassan Dantata and he was born in 1969. He studied mechanical engineering and business administration in the United States, having attended Morris Brown College, Atlanta Georgia.
He started his career as the chief executive of Dangote Transport, the logistics division of the Dangote Group.
He realised the potential for diesel marketing when he found it difficult to procure fuel for the company’s huge fleet. The Nigerian government was the sole importer of diesel and there were chronic shortages of the product. Sayyu studied the complex allocation process and launched M.R.S Oil in 1993 with about ₦5 million start up capital. He started buying diesel from African Petroleum, Unipetrol and the Kaduna Refinery, but it took some time for the company to get a foothold in the market. At the initial stage, M.R.S even had to buy diesel from foreign firms who received allocations even though they had no offices in the country.
The company got its big break when it was hired by the NNPC in 1998 to evacuate Low Residue Stock, a by-product of the refining process. This was followed by a major order from Wale Tinubu, who gave him a big contract to supply diesel.
M.R.S had an annual turnover of ₦10 billion and shipped about 50,000 tonnes of diesel a month. The company stunned the industry when it acquired Chevron Texaco’s downstream assets for $1 billion (it was bidding against Femi Otedola’s Zennon Oil). The M.R.S group employed about 800 people.
Sayyu Dantata is very close to Aliko Dangote and Dangote backed him during his dispute with Femi Otedola, which led to some friction between Dangote and Otedola.
Alhaji Dantata served as the chairman of Chevron Oil Nigeria PLC from 03/2009–08/2012 and the chairman and CEO of MRS Nigeria PLC from 08/2012–07/2017. He has been the chairman of MRS Holdings since 2017. MRS Holdings group of companies include the likes of Corlay Global SA, Ovlas Trading SA and Ovlas Services Geneva. He is also a director of Hydro Alternative Energy, Inc.
Sayyu Dantata speaking about MRS Oil and Gas in 2012.
Alhaji Sayyu Dantata was a regular on the celebrity pages of newspapers and magazines in the early and mid-2000s due to his relationship with Linda Mesrob.
Alhaji Dantata was in the news again in 2012 when Chris Brown stayed at his house on Banana Island. Chris Brown had come to Nigeria for a concert and the organisers had booked a suite at Eko Hotel for him, but he was not happy with the suite, so the organisers put him up at Sayyu Dantata’s house and he was really impressed. He took to Instagram to post about this big house that he was in in Nigeria (see the thread here https://www.nairaland.com/1142426/owner-mansion-chris-brown-stayed).
Sayyu Dantata also grabbed the headlines on all the blogs in 2019, during the massive Apapa traffic jam, when he flew himself to his Apapa office in a helicopter. This is a video of his staff hailing him as he landed in his helicopter.
He also arrived the Kaduna Polo Club for the Georgian Cup Competition in a helicopter, but there was almost a tragedy when he was leaving the club because the crowd refused to give enough space for the helicopter to take off and some people actually hung on to the helicopter’s landing skids as it took off. See the video below.
Alhaji Tajudeen Aminu Dantata is the son of Alhaji Aminu Dantata and he was born in 1965.
Alhaji Tajudeen Dantata attended Saint Thomas Secondary School Kano, Victoria College in Alexandria Egypt and Manaret College in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia before attending West London University, where he bagged a B.Sc in Business Studies in 1988.
He started his business career in the Dantata group as a group director in 1988 and was appointed the Group Managing Director in 1994. He has held the position since then, consolidating the group to what it is today- a conglomerate of successful companies.
Apart from his accomplishments in the Dantata group, Alhaji Tajudeen has also been representing the interests of the group in several Nigerian companies including Electric Metre Company of Nigeria (EMCON) of which he is the chairman and others like, Virgin Nigeria Airways, Mentholatum Nigeria Limited, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria and NAL Bank Plc where he is a director. He was also appointed chairman of the board of Starcomms, a leading CDMA telecommunications provider and he is currently the chairman of the board of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO). Alhaji Dantata is a non-executive director at Jaiz Bank, Nigeria's first non-interest bank.
As Group Managing Director of Dantata Organization, he has gathered a wealth of experience for over a decade in various sectors of the economy, which include oil exploration, manufacturing, banking and finance, import and export, farming as well as merchandising and commodity trading.
As a government appointee, he held various positions including Chairman, Kano State Tourism Board and Chairman, Kano State Housing Corporation. He is a member of the board of trustees of the American University of Nigeria (AUN). He has attended various courses both in Nigeria and overseas, one amongst many is the Petroleum Technology and Operations Overview (1992), in Houston, Texas, USA.
Alhaji Dantata presently serves as the President for TAMIDAN Group Nigeria Ltd, the parent company for Dantata Foods & Allied Products Ltd (DFAP).
Alhaji Tajudeen Aminu Dantata is a keen polo player.
Politics › Re: President Tinubu Mourns The Passing Of Aminu Dantata by naptu2(op): 10:05am On Jun 29, 2025
they wan use motivation with lies pie Nigerians