In what may be shocking but true, the Dangote Group has said that PhD and MBA Holders were among the over 13,000 applicants who applied for the recent Graduate Executive Truck Driver vacancy.
The company said it was satisfied with the quality and quantity of applications they have received, stating that its plan was to empower its Graduate Executive Truck Drivers.
Chairman of the company and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote revealed this on Thursday in Abuja at a World Bank Youth Forum.
The forum organized by the Coordinator, Rotimi Olawale and headed by the World Bank Country Director, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, was set up to engage the government, business men and women in order to share business ideas and development that can impact positively on Nigeria and Africa.
During a chat with the participants, Aliko Dangote encouraged them to be hardworking, prudent and re-invest in business rather than spend profits.
The GCON holder who shared how he nurtured the Dangote group from a small business in 1978 to one of the largest conglomerates in Africa added that the group’s vision was “to become the largest company in Africa, amongst the top 100 countries in the world and to be worth up to $75 billion by 2017.”
He explained that only 1000 drivers were needed and that the idea behind recruiting graduates was to eventually make them self dependent.
Dangote said the drivers get trip allowances on each trip along with their salaries and that they will own the trucks at no interests or repayments after accomplishing 300, 000 kilometres.
On his philanthropy and farming investment, the magnate said, “It is not always about money but how do I always give back to the community? And agriculture is the best business to help give back”
“Food isn’t cheap, so the earlier we start looking at it as a business, the better”.
The Dangote Group is presently involved in Sugar, Rice and palm oil farming, a venture its Chairman disclosed will create additional 150, 000 jobs within the next 5 years.
Dangote advised the youths and business owners that the key factors to success are focus, determination and integrity.