Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has disclosed that truck drivers in his company earn salaries higher than many university graduates in Nigeria, and nearly four times the country’s national minimum wage.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Dangote defended the company’s recent rollout of new trucks, stressing that it will create rather than eliminate jobs.
He said: “The trucks we launched didn’t stop anyone from their work. We hear there will be a loss of jobs. Will our tankers be driven by robots? Every truck is about six people. So these trucks they are fighting over will create 24,000 jobs.”
Dangote further explained that the welfare of drivers remains a priority for the company.
Nigeria’s current minimum wage stands at ₦70,000, as signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on July 29, 2024, an increase from the previous wage of ₦30,000 implemented in 2019. The change aims to improve workers’ living standards amid soaring inflation and economic challenges.
“What we are saying is that our salary is almost three or four times their own. After five years free accident, a driver can apply and get a house loan. Our drivers earn more than graduates. If you look at what they earn in a month, it’s almost four times the national minimum wage,” he said.
The billionaire also noted that membership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) should not be compulsory, even as debates continue nationwide about job creation, wage disparity, and the role of big corporations in tackling unemployment.
