Africa’s foremost industrialist, Aliko Dangote, has officially stepped down as Chairman of the Board of Dangote Cement Plc, effective July 25, 2025, to concentrate on steering the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Petrochemicals, Fertiliser, and Government Relations arms of his conglomerate.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief, Branding & Communications Officer of Dangote Group, who described the move as a strategic decision aligned with the Group’s five-year growth trajectory.
To fill the leadership vacuum, the Board has appointed Emmanuel Ikazoboh, an independent non-executive director, as the new Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc. Additionally, Hajiya Mariya Aliko Dangote has been named to the board as a director, while Professor Dorothy Ufot has officially retired from her position.
Widely regarded as a titan of African industry, Dangote’s leadership at the cement giant was instrumental in making Nigeria self-sufficient in cement production and establishing Dangote Cement Plc as Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest producer and exporter of cement and clinker. The company currently boasts a production capacity of 52.0 million metric tonnes per annum (Mta), with ongoing expansions in Côte d’Ivoire (3.0Mta) and Itori, Nigeria (6.0Mta) expected to push the capacity to 61.0Mta within the year.
Under his leadership, the company recently achieved record-breaking financial results. Unaudited financials for the half-year ending June 30, 2025, showed:
· Group revenue rose by 17.7% to ₦2.07 trillion
· EBITDA surged by 41.8% to ₦944.9 billion
· Profit before tax increased by 149% to ₦730 billion
· Profit after tax jumped 174.1% to ₦520.5 billion
The company also increased its export volume from Nigeria by 18.2%, completing 18 clinker shipments to Ghana and Cameroon in just six months. In 2024 alone, Dangote Group paid over ₦402 billion in taxes, making it Nigeria’s highest taxpayer.
In his acceptance speech, newly appointed Chairman Emmanuel Ikazoboh described Dangote Cement as a beacon of African enterprise and pledged to consolidate the company’s legacy of excellence.
“My vision for Dangote Cement Plc is built on sustainable growth, operational efficiency, and unwavering commitment to our core values. We will drive down costs, adopt alternative energy sources, and empower our workforce through training and development,” Ikazoboh stated.
A respected corporate leader, Ikazoboh previously served as Group Chairman of Ecobank Transnational Inc. and Managing Partner at Deloitte West and Central Africa. He also played a key role in reforms at the Nigerian Stock Exchange and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), following his appointment by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2010.
With this transition, Dangote Cement Plc embarks on a new era of strategic leadership, poised to sustain its continental dominance and expand its global competitiveness under Ikazoboh’s guidance.
