Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has accepted an invitation from Nigerian content creator Bae U Barbie to appear on his YouTube programme, Curiosity Made Me Ask, in a move aimed at engaging younger audiences.
Dangote agreed to the proposed interview after the content creator, whose real name is Adebayo Ridwan, challenged him to expand his media engagements beyond platforms that primarily attract older audiences.
In a video shared on social media on Monday, Bae U Barbie noted that many of Dangote’s interviews had appeared on platforms less popular among young Nigerians, despite growing interest in his business ventures and the planned initial public offering (IPO) of his refinery.
“Most of the interviews we’ve seen you have been on platforms that my generation don’t watch,” he said.
He clarified that he was not asking Dangote to dismiss his media team but wanted the billionaire to consider appearing on his programme after completing his existing engagements.
Responding, Dangote acknowledged the importance of reaching younger Nigerians, describing them as the future of Nigeria and Africa.
“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,” he said.
The industrialist stressed the need for older generations to share their experiences with younger people, particularly to help them understand Nigeria’s history and development.
“So we need to sit down with some of you and discuss our own experience with you,” he added.
Dangote also noted that many young Nigerians had limited knowledge of prominent figures and events from the country’s past. He cited former President Olusegun Obasanjo, prompting Bae U Barbie to highlight his own contribution to making the former leader accessible to younger audiences through an interview.
“Thanks to me. I gave him the platform, sir,” the content creator said.
Dangote agreed that business leaders should pay greater attention to younger audiences and indicated that he was willing to participate in conversations on platforms such as the YouTube show.
“So really, you are right. Going forward, this sort of audience is the audience that we, somebody like me, should actually face,” he said.
The billionaire also spoke about his interactions with young people, recalling how members of the public often approached him for photographs during his trips abroad.
He said he preferred to accommodate such requests, explaining that an experience from his younger years had shaped his attitude towards people seeking photographs with him.
Dangote recalled accompanying his grandfather to meet prominent personalities in Washington, where they also requested photographs. He said the experience influenced his willingness to oblige people despite his wealth and public standing.
He also clarified remarks accompanying a photograph he had shared on social media, saying his reference to divine blessings was an expression of gratitude rather than a request for more.
“I wasn’t begging for anything. What I was saying, I was just saying that, God, you have overblessed me,” he said.
Dangote subsequently confirmed his willingness to appear on Curiosity Made Me Ask, where younger Nigerians could ask about his business journey and the factors behind his success.
“We will come,” he said.
He added that he wanted the proposed engagement to be an open conversation where participants could freely ask questions about how he built his business and attained his current position.
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