Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote on Tuesday said he had no interest in actively participating in politics, saying business and politics should never be mixed.
Mr. Dangote, the Chairman of Dangote Group, made this known while speaking with journalists during a condolence visit to the Awolowo family over the death of Hannah Awolowo (HID) at the family’s residence in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun.
The business mogul said the set of skills required to become successful in business differed from those of politics.
“I can’t be in politics because they say when you want to clap you need two hands.
“If all of us in business go into politics then who is going to create the jobs?
“We are in the private sector so we should be creating jobs. Government should be creating good policies and also ensuring that we are not taking advantage of the poor.
“They are doing what they know how to do best and we are also doing what we know how to do best. Each is a master in its own terrain,” Mr. Dangote said.
He advised that Nigerians should not worry too much about fall in oil prices, saying that the economy would soon become stable through the austerity measures adopted by government.
“During the oil boom, when a barrel of oil sold above 100 dollars, there were too many leakages which the Federal Government is now trying to resolve by plugging them.
“When this is effectively achieved, I believe the economy will begin to regain its stability.
“However, we must begin to explore other avenues to wealth aside from crude oil, especially agriculture which we were formerly used to. We really should not be complaining.” he said.
Mr. Dangote, however, called on the Federal Government to implement policies that would attract investors and enable manufacturing sector to thrive and fast-track economic growth.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Femi Otedola, another business man, was in Mr. Dangote’s entourage.
Both men described the late HID Awolowo as a great woman whose name would forever remain immortalised in the nation’s history.
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