Two of Nigeria's wealthiest individuals, Aliko Dangote and Abdulsamad Rabiu, have kicked off the year 2026 with a significant financial surge, collectively seeing their fortunes grow by more than N181 billion in just the first six days of January.
Dangote's Wealth Soars Past $30 Billion Mark
According to data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, saw his net worth reach $30.1 billion on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. This milestone was achieved after a single-day gain of $33 million, which is approximately N47 billion. This impressive increase has propelled Dangote to the 80th position on the global list of the world's wealthiest people.
Financial analysts project that Dangote's wealth will continue its upward trajectory throughout 2026. A key driver is the anticipated partial listing of his monumental $20 billion Dangote Refinery on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). The billionaire industrialist confirmed these plans during the unveiling of the Dangote Vision 2030, a long-term strategic roadmap for his conglomerate.
This move is expected to make the refinery one of the leading stocks on the local bourse. It aligns with the broader ambitions of Dangote Industries, which aims to achieve group revenues of $100 billion and a market capitalisation of $200 billion by the year 2030. His already listed entities—Dangote Cement, Dangote Sugar, and NASCON Allied Industries—continue to post strong performances, contributing substantially to his wealth accumulation.
Rabiu's Strong Start with $208 Million Gain
Not to be outdone, Nigeria's second-richest billionaire, Abdulsamad Rabiu, founder of the BUA Group, has also begun the year on a remarkably strong note. Bloomberg data reveals that Rabiu's wealth grew by a staggering $94.2 million (about N134.5 billion) in one day. His total gain over the six-day period amounts to $208 million.
This surge solidifies his position with a current net worth of $10.8 billion, firmly securing his status as Nigeria's second-richest man. Globally, he now ranks 337th among the world's billionaires.
The Global Billionaire Landscape
At the apex of global wealth, Elon Musk retains his title as the world's richest person, with a net worth of $644 billion, which increased by $32.5 billion in recent days. The top five is rounded out by Larry Page ($272B), Jeff Bezos ($255B), Sergey Brin ($253B), and Larry Ellison ($245B).
Other notable figures in the top ten include Meta's Mark Zuckerberg ($233B), LVMH's Bernard Arnault ($207B), former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer ($165B), NVIDIA's Jensen Huang ($156B), and investment legend Warren Buffett ($150B).
In related business news, it was recently reported that Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola sold his controlling stake in Geregu Power Plc in a transaction valued at N1.088 trillion ($750 million). The deal involved the sale of shares in Amperion Power Distribution Limited, the majority shareholder of Geregu Power, to MA'AM Energy Ltd.
