Dangote, Africa’s richest man still owing Mikel Obi & Super Eagles team mates $1 million 14 years after as his wealth hits $23.9B

It has emerged that the richest African in the world, Aliko Dangote, has not fulfilled the promise to the Nigerian under-23s led by Mikel Obi.

For the 14th consecutive year, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest man and the richest Black person in the world, has claimed the top spot on Forbes’ list of Africa’s billionaires.

With a staggering net worth of $23.9 billion, Dangote’s fortune has soared to new heights, nearly doubling in the past year thanks to the launch of the Dangote Refinery—Africa’s largest oil and gas facility.

Yet, amid his meteoric financial rise, a promise made over a decade ago to Nigeria’s victorious AFCON2013 football team remains unfulfilled, casting a shadow over his legacy of generosity.

Dangote, now ranked the 83rd-richest person globally, has seen his wealth balloon by $10.5 billion since last year , propelled by the refinery’s operational debut.

His business empire, spanning cement, sugar, and now oil, has solidified his status as a titan of industry.

However, per a BBC report, the Nigerian magnate’s unkept $1 million pledge to the Super Eagles, coached by Stephen Keshi , made in 2013 after their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) victory in South Africa, stands in stark contrast to his financial success.

Led by former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi, the team’s historic win was met with widespread celebration, and Dangote’s promise was hailed as a gesture of national pride. 12 later, the players are still waiting.

Dangote isn’t alone in this lapse. Nigerian banker Tony Elumelu, another prominent figure, also pledged $500,000 to the same victorious squad but has yet to deliver.

The unfulfilled commitments have sparked frustration among fans, highlighting a troubling pattern of unredeemed promises in Nigeria’s sports sector.

In sharp contrast, Japanese plastic surgeon Katsuya Takasu set a remarkable example of swift generosity.

In 2016, after Nigeria’s Olympic football team clinched a bronze medal at the Rio Games, Takasu didn’t hesitate. Hours after their 3-2 victory over Honduras in the bronze medal match, he handed over cheques totaling $390,000—$200,000 to coach Samson Siasia and $190,000 to captain Mikel Obi.

His prompt action earned him praise as a “man of his word,” a title that Dangote and Elumelu have yet to reclaim.

For Dangote, whose fortune dwarfs that of many global peers, the $1 million pledge represents a mere fraction of his wealth, less than 0.005% of his $23.9 billion empire.

The refinery, a $20 billion mega-project, has not only transformed Africa’s energy landscape but also catapulted Dangote’s net worth to unprecedented levels.

Forbes notes that his wealth surge underscores his knack for seizing monumental opportunities, yet the lingering AFCON promise raises questions about his commitment to smaller, symbolic gestures.

Forbes notes that his wealth surge underscores his knack for seizing monumental opportunities, yet the lingering AFCON promise raises questions about his commitment to smaller, symbolic gestures.

“This shows that Nigeria’s problem of failed promises is deep rooted. Politicians, capitalists and common people have the same traits of lack of integrity,” one X user quipped. Another added, “One of the reasons I don’t blame any player that refuses to play for the country and for that play not giving their 100%.”

As Dangote basks in his latest Forbes accolade, the unfulfilled pledge serves as a reminder that wealth, no matter how vast, is measured not just in dollars but in promises kept.

For the players who brought glory to Nigeria in 2013, the wait continues while Africa’s richest man’s fortune grows ever larger.