Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has contested Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent assertion that Lagos is responsible for the rise of business moguls Aliko Dangote and Abdul Samad Rabiu. Addressing the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria, the monarch maintained that these billionaires built their initial entrepreneurial expertise in Kano before moving to Lagos for expansion.
Sanusi emphasized that Kano has served as a center for trade for generations, providing the necessary foundation for these industrialists long before they engaged with the Lagos commercial market. He clarified that their relocation to the southern hub was to scale their established operations rather than to acquire fundamental business skills.
This rebuttal follows claims made by Vice President Shettima at the Invest Lagos Summit 3.0, where he described both men as products of the Lagos economic environment. The disagreement highlights a significant discussion regarding the regional origins of Nigeria’s most prominent industrial leaders and their connection to the country’s diverse economic history.
