Dangote, Rabiu Starts 2026 Strong, Make Over N181bn in 6 Days, Secures New World Ranking
- Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote’s net worth continued to rise and once again crossed the $30 billion mark
- Abdulsamad Rabiu has also started strongly, adding over $200 million in the first six days of 2026
- Elon Musk remains the world’s richest person, followed by Larry Ellison and Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and Nigeria’s second-richest billionaire, Abdulsamad Rabiu, have begun 2026 on a strong footing, jointly adding over N181 billion to their fortunes within the first six days of 2026.
Data from the Bloomberg index showed that Dangote's net worth has hit $30.1 billion on Tuesday, January 6, after increasing by $33 million from the previous day, equivalent to about N47 billion.
Source: Getty Images
The latest increase has helped Dangote climb to 80th position on the global list of the world’s billionaires.
Dangote's wealth expected to increase in 2026
Analysts expect Dangote's wealth to rise further in 2026, especially as plans progress to list part of his $20 billion refinery on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).
His existing listed companies on the NGX, Dangote Cement, Dangote Sugar, and NASCON Allied Industries have continued to perform strongly, contributing significantly to his recent wealth gains.
Speaking during the unveiling of the Dangote Vision 2030, a long-term strategic roadmap, the billionaire industrialist revealed the listing plans.
The move is expected to position the refinery as one of the leading stocks on the NGX while supporting Dangote Industries’ broader expansion plans, which target $100 billion in group revenues and a $200 billion market capitalisation by 2030.
Source: Getty Images
Abdulsamad Rabiu makes $94.2M
Meanwhile, Abdulsamad Rabiu, founder of BUA Group, has also started the year on a strong note.
Bloomberg data shows that Rabiu gained $94.2 million (about N134.5 billion) in a single day, having earned a total of $208 million in just six days.
His current net worth stands at $10.8 billion, firmly placing him behind Dangote and reinforcing his status as Nigeria’s second-richest man and 337th in the world.
The richest men in the world
At the top of the world list, Elon Musk remains the richest person globally with a net worth of $644 billion, up $32.5 billion in recent days. He is followed by Larry Page ($272B), Jeff Bezos ($255B), Sergey Brin ($253B), and Larry Ellison ($245B).
Other leading figures include Mark Zuckerberg ($233B), Bernard Arnault ($207B), Steve Ballmer ($165B), Jensen Huang ($156B), and Warren Buffett ($150B).
Otedola sells shares for N1 trillion
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola sold his controlling stake in Geregu Power Plc in a N1.088 trillion ($750 million) transaction financed by a consortium of banks led by Zenith Bank Plc.
MA’AM Energy Ltd, an Abuja-based integrated energy company, acquired a 95% equity interest in Amperion, effectively transferring control of Geregu Power from entities linked to Otedola to MA’AM Energy.
Geregu Power clarified that the transaction involved the sale of shares in Amperion and did not entail a direct transfer of Geregu Power Plc shares
Source: Legit.ng
