In its 2025 World’s Black Billionaires list, Forbes has identified six Nigerians among the 23 Black billionaires globally. These Nigerian billionaires, along with their estimated net worths and primary business ventures, are:
Aliko Dangote
With a net worth of $23.9 billion, Dangote is Africa’s richest person. He is the founder and chairman of Dangote Cement, the continent’s largest cement producer, and also owns a fertilizer plant and the recently operational Dangote Refinery.
According to Forbes, the Dangote refinery’s eventual opening in early 2024 caused the billionaire’s wealth to soar, increasing by $10.5 billion since the previous year’s list.
Mike Adenuga
Adenuga has a net worth of $6.8 billion. He is the founder of Globacom, Nigeria’s second-largest telecom operator, and has significant interests in the oil exploration industry. He ranks fifth on the list.
Abdulsamad Rabiu
With a net worth of $5.9 billion, Rabiu is the founder of BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate with interests in cement production, sugar refining, and real estate.
Adebayo Ogunlesi
Adebayo Ogunlesi, the CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and another Nigerian on the list, has a net worth of $2.2 billion.
According to Forbes, Ogunlesi is the world’s eleventh Black billionaire. The businessman sold GIP to BlackRock in October 2024 for $12.5 billion in shares and cash.
Femi Otedola
Otedola is the chairman and majority owner of Geregu Power, a power generation company with a net worth of $1.5 billion. Forbes said the billionaire “made his first fortune in commodities before selling his shares in Forte Oil to invest in the energy business”.
Tope Awotona
Awotona is the founder of Calendly, a scheduling software startup valued at $3 billion in 2021. According to the media firm, Awotona has a net worth of $1.4 billion and is ranked 14th on the list.
Collectively, these six Nigerians have made significant contributions to various sectors, including manufacturing, telecommunications, energy, and technology, reflecting Nigeria’s growing influence in the global economic landscape.
