Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote has lamented the difficulties he faces travelling in Africa with his Nigerian passport.
“I still complained to President Kagame. I told him that as an investor, I have to now apply for 35 different visas on my passport and I told Mr. President, I really don’t have the time to go and be dropping my passports in embassies to get a visa,” the industrialist said recently at the Africa CEO Forum annual summit in Kigali, Rwanda.
“But you see, the most annoying thing is that if you are treating everybody the same, then I can understand.”
The chairman of Dangote Group used the French passport as an example, noting that the chairman of Total Energies Patrick Pouyanne moves freely in Africa with his French passport.
“You don’t need 35 visas on your French passport. This means you have a freer movement than myself in Africa,” he said.
Speaking further on businesses within Africa, he said, “Our main job is to make sure the regional markets all work. Once they work, then we can now go to Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). But then, for AfCFTA also, we need to make sure that it works.”
Dangote said Africa’s intra-trade rate which is less than 16 percent is worrisome and must be improved for the continent’s development.
The 67-year-old also said Nigeria will not have to import petrol into the country by June when Dangote Refinery commences production of the product.
