Aliko Dangote Top Forbes list of Africa Most Influential Man

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the President of the Dangote Group, as been

named the most powerful man in Africa and 64th in the world by the

Forbes magazine.

Dangote, who Forbes says is by far Africa's richest man with a net

worth of $16.1bn as of March 2013, was ranked ahead of the likes of

Fifa President, Sepp Blatter (69th); Speaker, United States House of

Reps, John Boehner (66th); and Founder, Mo Ibrahim Foundation,

Mohammed Ibrahim (71).

The 56-year-old, Dangote, whose company is considered one of the most

diversified on the list, is ranked 43 on the Forbes list of the

world's billionaires with his net worth over time said to be on the

rise.

In August, he announced plans by the Dangote Group to build a $9bn

refinery and petrochemical complex in Nigeria, a move which is

expected to help the group further diversify its current business

model and increase his net worth.

Away from his business interests, mention was also made of his

philanthropic efforts in his profile on Forbes website.

It reads in part, "Inspired by fellow billionaires, Bill Gates and

Warren Buffett, Dangote is making a name for himself on the

philanthropic circuit and has given away millions to education, health

and social causes in Africa."

Apart from Dangote, Mo Ibrahim is the only other African on the list,

which contains 72 people.

Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, topped the list, displacing United

States President, Barrack Obama, who dropped to the second spot for

the first time in three years.

Chinese President, Xi Jinping, occupies the third spot, while the head

of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, debuts on the list at number

four.

Pope Francis, who was elected in March this year, leads 12 other new entrants.

Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg, aged 29, and North Korean leader,

Kim Jung-un, aged 30, are the youngest people on the list. Zuckerberg

occupies the 24th place, while Kim is ranked 46th