Why I Would Rather Go To Prison Than Lose My Phone — Dangote

Africa’s foremost industrialist and billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, has stated that he would choose going to prison over surrendering access to his mobile phone, underscoring the critical role the device plays in managing his global business empire.

Dangote made the candid disclosure during an interactive session at a corporate event in Lagos, where he officially unveiled his group’s strategic Vision 2030 roadmap.

When asked by the host to choose between spending a full week without his mobile phone or forfeiting access to his private jet, the Chairman of the Dangote Group explained that living without his communication link was virtually unthinkable.

Ah… I think it’s easier you put me in prison than to take my phone away. So, you know, I mean taking my phone away is no-go area, okay? Dangote quipped, emphasizing how essential constant communication is to his daily operational oversight.

Elaborating on the scale of his global reach, the business mogul revealed that his mobile contact book holds an extraordinary list of personal and professional connections.

I have more than 13,000 contacts on my phone, Dangote shared, noting that the massive number reflects decades of international networking across business, government, and development sectors.

Explaining how his digital directory reached such volume, Dangote noted that he maintains an open-door communication philosophy and rarely restricts access to his personal line.

I hardly… I don’t like blocking people, so a lot of people, he added with a smile.

As the founder and head of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote oversees one of Africa’s largest diversified industrial conglomerates, with major investments spanning cement manufacturing, granulated fertilizer production, sugar refining, and the recently commissioned mega petroleum refinery in Lekki, Lagos.