Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has accepted an invitation from Nigerian content creator Adebayo Ridwan, popularly known as Isbae U, to appear on his YouTube programme, Curiosity Made Me Ask, in a move that could bring the billionaire’s business journey to a younger digital audience.
Dangote gave the assurance during an exchange in which Isbae U argued that the industrialist’s previous media appearances had largely been on platforms that many young Nigerians do not regularly follow, despite their interest in his business ventures and potential investment opportunities.
“Most of the interviews we’ve seen you have been on platforms that my generation don’t watch,” Isbae U said, before asking when the billionaire would appear on his show.
The content creator clarified that he was not asking Dangote to abandon his existing media team but was encouraging him to engage younger audiences through platforms they readily consume.
Responding, Dangote acknowledged the importance of reaching young Nigerians, describing them as central to the country’s future. He said older generations had a responsibility to share their experiences with younger people as they sought to build businesses and contribute to national development.
“Honestly, the future that we have is actually you, the youth. We, our own generation, really, we have not really done very well for Nigeria and also for Africa. That’s the truth,” Dangote said.
He added that conversations between generations could help young Nigerians understand the experiences, decisions and challenges that have shaped the country.
“So we need to sit down with some of you and discuss our own experience with you,” he said.
The billionaire agreed that digital platforms could provide an opportunity to engage audiences who might not encounter him through conventional interviews.
He also suggested that younger Nigerians could benefit from learning about the country’s political and business history, noting that some may have limited knowledge of prominent figures and past events.
During the exchange, Isbae U interjected when Dangote mentioned former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying, “Thanks to me. I gave him the platform, sir,” apparently referring to his own interview with the former president.
Dangote subsequently reiterated that younger audiences were an important group for him to reach.
“So really, you are right. Going forward, this sort of audience is the audience that we, somebody like me, should actually face,” he said.
His acceptance of the invitation signals a willingness to engage with younger Nigerians in a less formal setting, where questions about entrepreneurship, business expansion and personal experience could be explored directly.
Dangote also spoke about his interactions with members of the public, saying young Nigerians had continued to show him support and respect, including when he travelled abroad.
He recalled that people accompanying him sometimes tried to discourage members of the public from taking photographs with him, but said he preferred to oblige those who approached him.
The businessman linked that attitude to an experience from his youth, when he and his grandfather met prominent personalities in Washington and asked to take photographs with them.
He said the memory had influenced how he responded to people who now approached him for photographs.
Dangote also dismissed suggestions that a photograph of him shared on social media was an attempt to ask God for more blessings.
“I wasn’t begging for anything. What I was saying, I was just saying that, God, you have overblessed me,” he said.
In accepting Isbae U’s invitation, Dangote indicated that he was prepared to discuss how he built his business and achieved his success, while allowing young people to ask questions about his journey.
“We will come,” he said in response to the invitation.
The proposed appearance would offer an opportunity to take discussions about business and entrepreneurship beyond formal corporate settings and into a digital space popular with younger Nigerians.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, the prospect of hearing directly from one of Africa’s most prominent industrialists could provide insight into the experiences behind his business empire. Dangote’s central message, however, was broader: established leaders need to make their knowledge and experience accessible to the generation expected to shape Nigeria’s future.
