By Seun Opejobi

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Wednesday, disclosed how he helped Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote to make it in business.

Obasanjo disclosed that after creating an enabling environment to ensure that Dangote built his cement factory in Nigeria, he took him to Tanzania, Senegal, and other African countries.

He said: “So Aliko then planned to produce 5 million tons of cement a year. Since we started producing cement in 1956 up to 2003, we’ve never produced 5 million tons.

“So when Aliko made that projection, the people in the ministry said he was telling a lie. He wants to be making it up. I said alright, let’s see how his lie will work.

“So I put two people on Aliko’s construction site and they are reporting to me every day. The day Aliko the contractor did not work, they will phone and tell me. And I will immediately phone Aliko.

“So one day Aliko came to me and said, Mr. President, I’m getting worried about you. I said what have I done? He said you know about this cement project more than myself. And it is not a government project. I’m getting worried about you. I said my brother Aliko, this is a Nigerian project. So anything Nigerian is a government project.

“Not only did Aliko succeed in the first 5 million, he succeeded in the second 5 million. He succeeded in the third 5 million. I started taking him out to other countries in Africa.

“I took him to Tanzania. I took him to Senegal. That’s how Aliko made it. Partnership between the private and the public. Partnership between leadership at every level.”