Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote and fellow billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, were present in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, as the body of Nigerian business magnate and philanthropist Aminu Dantata arrived ahead of his burial on Tuesday.
A video shared by the deceased’s son, Sanusi Dantata, showed Dangote and Otedola sitting side by side as they awaited the funeral proceedings.
Sanusi, who posted the video on X (formerly Twitter), wrote, “Aliko Dangote personally went and escorted the remains of his great-uncle, the late Alh. Aminu Dantata, from Abu Dhabi to Madinah, where he will be buried at the Baqiyya cemetery.”
He added, “The body has arrived in Madinah this morning, and the Janazah prayer will be held at the Holy Prophet’s mosque after the Asr prayer (around 1.30pm Nigeria time). May Allah have mercy on his soul and grant safe return to the family, friends, and well-wishers who traveled to attend the Janazah in Saudi.”
Dantata died on Saturday, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
According to his family, the 93-year-old had long expressed his desire to be buried in Madinah, one of Islam’s holiest cities.
Initially scheduled for Monday, the burial was delayed due to documentation issues between the family and the Nigerian embassy in Saudi Arabia.
Nigeria’s minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, confirmed that the necessary arrangements were eventually concluded, allowing the funeral to proceed on Tuesday.
Sanusi stated that if clearance had not been granted by Saudi authorities, the family would have buried Dantata in Kano.
“However,” he noted, “with the completion of travel and religious arrangements, the late businessman will now be laid to rest as he had wished — in the sacred city of Madinah.”
The Janazah (funeral) prayer took place at the Prophet’s Mosque and his remains were interred at the historic Jannatul Baqi cemetery a burial site for many prominent figures in Islamic history.
Aminu Dantata was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most influential industrialists and the patriarch of the Dantata business dynasty. He was also the last surviving son of legendary merchant Alhassan Dantata, once reputed to be the wealthiest man in West Africa in the 1950s.
Tributes have poured in from political leaders, business associates and religious figures.
President Bola Tinubu, in a condolence message, described him as “an exemplary statesman, devout Muslim, and a philanthropist whose legacy will live on.” Former vice president Atiku Abubakar also praised his “unparalleled contribution to commerce and Islamic development in Nigeria.”
Dantata was instrumental in expanding his family’s commercial empire and served as a mentor to many, including Aliko Dangote, who has often credited his great-uncle for shaping his early business education.
He is survived by wives, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.