I Bought My First Private Jet At 22 – Dangote Reveals

Africa’s richest man and business mogul, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that he acquired his first private jet at the age of 22 and a half.

According to Ireporter Online, Dangote made the disclosure on Monday while speaking at the official opening of the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the Dangote Refinery.

The billionaire businessman said that despite owning and flying private aircraft, he is no longer fascinated by the luxury, adding that he now travels either by private jet or commercial flights when necessary.

Dangote, however, urged wealthy individuals who spend millions of dollars acquiring luxury private jets to consider investing more in productive ventures, particularly factories and industries that could contribute to Nigeria’s economic development.

He stressed that Nigeria cannot achieve greatness without becoming a more productive nation and called for greater investment in sectors capable of creating jobs and driving economic growth.

The business tycoon also recalled spending about 30 minutes searching for a parking space in Abuja, saying he wished the area was occupied by factories rather than numerous private jets.

“I had my first private jet at 22 and a half years old. I try as much as possible to encourage those who are riding 90, 100 million dollar aircraft to please go and put that into production,” Dangote said.

He added that Nigeria’s future depends on increased productivity, insisting that resources should be channelled towards investments that can strengthen the country’s economy.

“We are not going to be a great nation without doing something productive. It took me 30 minutes to find a parking space in Abuja, and I said I wish the place was full of factories, not private jets,” he stated.