The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has challenged recent remarks by Vice President Kashim Shettima, insisting that Kano, not Lagos, nurtured the business foundations of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and billionaire industrialist Abdul Samad Rabiu.
Sanusi made the remarks while addressing members of the
Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), where
he underscored Kano’s long-standing reputation as a commercial hub and a cradle
of entrepreneurial success.
According to the Emir, both Dangote and Rabiu emerged from
Kano’s deep-rooted trading tradition before expanding their business empires
across Nigeria and beyond.
“These businessmen went to Lagos to expand their businesses
and learn from the commercial environment there, not to learn how to do
business from the beginning,” Sanusi said.
He noted that Kano has historically produced generations of
successful merchants and entrepreneurs, arguing that the state’s commercial
heritage played a significant role in shaping some of Africa’s most prominent
business figures.
The Emir’s comments are widely seen as a response to remarks
made by Shettima during the Invest Lagos Summit 3.0 on Monday.
At the summit, the Vice President praised Lagos State’s
economic environment and leadership, stating that Lagos was responsible for
producing Africa’s richest individual.
“Lagos produced Africa’s richest man, not Kano. Aliko
Dangote is a Lagos boy. Likewise, it was not Kano that produced Africa’s
second-richest man, Abdul Samad Rabiu,” Shettima said.
The Vice President made the statement while emphasising
Lagos State’s contribution to Nigeria’s economy and its role in fostering
private-sector growth and wealth creation.
Sanusi’s response has since sparked renewed debate over the
respective contributions of Kano and Lagos to the development of some of
Nigeria’s most influential business leaders, reflecting a broader discussion
about the country’s commercial history and economic identity.
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