James Uche
Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has formally retired as Director and Chairman of the Board of Dangote Cement Plc, effective July 25, 2025. The announcement was made on Friday in a statement released by the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina.
According to the statement, Dangote is stepping down to dedicate more time to driving the success of his $20 billion refinery, petrochemicals, fertiliser, and government relations portfolio. This decision is part of a broader five-year strategy aimed at propelling the conglomerate into its next phase of growth.
In his place, the board has appointed Emmanuel Ikazoboh, an independent non-executive director, as the new Chairman of the Board. Hajiya Mariya Aliko Dangote also joins the board, while Prof. Dorothy Ufot has retired.
The company praised Dangote’s visionary leadership and his transformative impact on the cement industry. Under his guidance, Dangote Cement grew into Africa’s largest producer and exporter of cement and clinker, significantly advancing the continent’s self-sufficiency in cement production.
The company currently boasts a production capacity of 52.0 million tonnes per annum (Mta) across Africa, with Nigeria accounting for 35.25Mta. Ongoing projects in Côte d’Ivoire (3.0Mta) and Itori, Nigeria (6.0Mta) are expected to boost total capacity to 61.0Mta upon completion this year.
Dangote Cement also achieved a record-breaking financial milestone under Aliko Dangote’s leadership. The unaudited results for the first half of 2025 show group revenue rising by 17.7 per cent—from N1.76 trillion in the same period of 2024 to N2.07 trillion—marking the highest revenue in the company’s history.
In his acceptance speech, new board chairman Emmanuel Ikazoboh expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead, promising to uphold strong values of leadership and excellence. He described Dangote Cement as a beacon of African enterprise, known for its resilience, innovation, and performance.
Ikazoboh previously served as Group Chairman of Ecobank Transnational Inc. and began his professional journey at Akintola Williams Deloitte. He rose to become Managing Partner for the firm’s operations in Francophone Africa before leading Deloitte’s West and Central African arm. In 2010, he was appointed by the Securities and Exchange Commission as Interim Administrator to oversee reforms at the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Central Securities Clearing System Plc.
As Aliko Dangote shifts his focus to the refining and petrochemical sectors, his departure from Dangote Cement marks the end of an era, while setting the stage for the next chapter in the evolution of Africa’s industrial landscape.
Recall that Dangote also recently stepped aside from his role as Chairman, Dangote Sugar.