Business
Dangote retains Africa’s most admired brand title for eighth year
Dangote Industries Limited has emerged as Africa’s Most Admired African Brand for the eighth consecutive year, reinforcing its dominance across industrial, sustainability and social impact rankings.
The company disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, noting that the recognition was announced at the 16th annual Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands rankings, unveiled in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to the company, the survey described as Africa’s most comprehensive consumer-led brand study — covered 30 countries representing more than 85 per cent of the continent’s population and economic output.
In the latest rankings, Dangote emerged as Africa’s Most Admired Brand in aided recall, ahead of MTN and Vodacom. In the spontaneous recall category, it ranked second among African brands behind MTN and ahead of Trade Kings.
The conglomerate also retained its position as Africa’s Most Admired Industrial Brand and emerged as the leading African brand contributing to a better Africa, ahead of MTN, DStv, Shoprite/Checkers and Trade Kings.
The rankings reflect Dangote’s growing influence as one of Africa’s most recognisable corporate brands, driven by investments spanning cement, fertiliser, petrochemicals, energy, sugar, salt, packaging and logistics.
Brand Africa, however, noted that despite modest improvements in African brand recognition, indigenous brands continue to lag behind foreign competitors, accounting for only 15 per cent of Africa’s 100 most admired brands.
Speaking on the findings, Brand Africa Founder and Chairman, Thebe Ikalafeng, said strengthening African brands remains a critical economic priority for the continent.
“Converting goodwill towards African contribution into admiration for African brands is the most urgent commercial opportunity for the continent. It is not enough for Africans to believe in Africa; they must buy Made-in-Africa,” he said.
Dangote also ranked second among brands recognised for contributing positively to society, people and the environment.
Despite the dominance of international brands across Africa, Dangote remained among the continent’s highest-ranked indigenous brands alongside MTN and Ethiopian Airlines.
The three companies emerged as the leading African brands in the 2026 rankings, which were dominated by global brands such as Nike, Adidas, Samsung, Apple, and Coca-Cola.
According to the company, African brands accounted for only 15 per cent of the top 100 rankings, compared with 38 per cent for European brands, 28 per cent for North American brands and 19 per cent for Asian brands.
Further strengthening the group’s profile, its Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, was named among the inaugural Africa CMO 100 (ACMO100) list, which recognises influential marketing, branding and reputation management professionals across the continent.
The initiative, launched by Brand Africa in partnership with African Business magazine, MIPAD and the African Media Agency, honours executives shaping Africa’s business narrative and driving brand growth.
Mr Chiejina was among 20 executives selected from West Africa and one of 17 Nigerians recognised for contributions to brand building, corporate reputation management and strategic communications.
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Brand Africa said the selection process was based on independent research, industry impact, leadership influence, and contribution to the growth of brands that shape consumer perceptions and economic outcomes.
The latest recognition adds to Dangote Industries’ growing list of accolades, including its induction into the Brand Africa Hall of Fame last year for consistently ranking among Africa’s most admired brands.
Its President and Chief Executive Officer, Aliko Dangote, also received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to industrialisation and building one of Africa’s largest indigenous business empires.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that the smoke observed at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Sunday was not caused by a fire but by the discharge of the terminal’s fire suppression system.
The clarification came hours after the authority initially announced that a fire incident had occurred at the terminal, prompting an emergency response and raising concerns among passengers and airport users.
In its first statement, FAAN said a fire had broken out at Terminal 2 and disclosed that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service (ARFFS) had been deployed to contain the situation.
“The FAAN Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service is currently responding to the incident and working diligently to contain the situation,” the authority said, adding that no casualties or loss of life had been recorded.
The announcement triggered emergency response measures at the airport before FAAN issued a fresh update later in the day, clarifying the nature of the incident.
According to the authority, preliminary investigations showed there was no fire at the terminal.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN said.
The authority added that normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations continue to determine what triggered the fire suppression system.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” it added.
Any report of fire or smoke at an airport automatically triggers emergency response procedures due to the potential risks to passengers, aircraft, and critical airport infrastructure.
FAAN also thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of airport operations.
Comes five months after a major fire incident at the airport
Although a fire did not cause Sunday’s incident, it came barely five months after a major blaze at the airport’s international terminal disrupted flight operations and damaged critical aviation infrastructure.
In February, PREMIUM TIMES reported that a fire at Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport forced the temporary closure of the Lagos airfield, causing flight delays and diversions as emergency responders battled the blaze.
The incident left six people injured, while 14 people trapped inside the control tower were rescued. It also damaged critical infrastructure, including weather equipment belonging to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
Following the February incident, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced plans to demolish the ageing Terminal 1 after describing the damage as extensive. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria also ordered a comprehensive structural audit of the affected facility ahead of reconstruction.
READ ALSO: FAAN unveils 2025 bye-laws
While Sunday’s incident was quickly resolved without injuries or significant disruption to flight operations, it has renewed attention on the resilience of critical infrastructure and emergency preparedness at Nigeria’s busiest aviation gateway, coming just five months after the February fire.
The Murtala Muhammed International Airport is Nigeria’s busiest aviation gateway, handling millions of domestic and international passengers annually.
FAAN said investigations are continuing to determine why the FM-200 fire suppression system was activated and promised to provide further updates as more information becomes available.
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Investment company VFD Group recorded a twofold increase in net profit for the first half of the year, supported by a significant improvement in investment income, its unaudited report for the period issued Friday showed.
VFD Group is proprietary and investment-focused, meaning it invests in target companies for direct market gain, unlike investment banks, which invest on behalf of others.
It has investments in companies as diverse as the Nigerian Exchange Group, Veritas Kapital Assurance, NASD Plc and CSCS Plc, according to information on its website.
Revenue advanced to N53.7 billion from N41.2 billion a year ago, deriving strength largely from investment income, which was up by 102.8 per cent. Net investment income expanded by 19.8 per cent to N42 billion from N35 billion.
The company logged a sharp increase in other income, which surged more than sevenfold to N3.8 billion after earning N3.9 billion in fair value gain in investment property, unlike a year earlier when no such income was recorded.
It cut back provision for impairment of financial assets, especially loans and advances, by nearly half to N657.5 million.
“The first half of 2026 performance demonstrates the value of disciplined execution in a market that continues to reward thoughtful execution,” said Managing Director Nonso Okpala in a statement.
“Profit grew more than three times faster than revenue because we remain focused on deploying capital only where risk-adjusted returns justify,” he added.
The company earned N79.1 million in share of profit from associate, compared to N22 million one year prior, boosting pre-tax profit.
EBIT margin, a parameter that gauges the operating profitability of a company, stood at 62.5 per cent, slightly weaker than the 66 per cent recorded in the same period of 2025.
Profit before tax climbed 98.4 per cent to N12 billion, while after-tax profit increased to N10.1 billion from N5 billion.
READ ALSO: Aradel’s half-year profit grows far less than revenue as galloping costs bite
In a separate announcement on Friday, the board of directors declared an interim dividend of N0.24 per share, translating into a potential payout of N3 billion.
“We enter the second half of the year with the strongest capital position in the group’s history, a materially lower cost of funding, and a portfolio of high-quality earning assets,” Folajimi Adeleye, the executive director for finance, said.
“Our priority now is straightforward: ensuring that every naira of new capital consistently generates returns that exceed the cost of the debt it replaced,” he said further.
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