Carlos Slim...can Dangote make Africa proud!

Carlos slim...the 1st billionaire from a developing country to top the chart of "the big havers". To many, it seemed like an "Obama" dream...a long preached dream that unbelievably materialised. Of course Carlos Slim Hule (#1), is not the only one from a developing world that made the list. There's Aliko Dangote (#463) from my motherland...a guy i admire his "balls", don't get me wrong I'm not into men! lol. A guy who dominantly emerged in the Nigerian economy but took the economy by suprise. He started out with a countable product line but it now seems he won't stop at a thing to take over the about 20 Billion dollar economy.

I have a feeling he can conquer the Forbes List, but only if he sits up and stop spreading his resources over too many sectors in the Nigerian economy, not in this fast changing world. I've always believed he'll be the first Nigerian launch a global brand but I don't share this view anymore because of his recently acquired desire to go after already established and highly competitive sectors like the food sector (noodles). Going into this multibillion naira sector is not the problem but he's mode of entry; setting up a competition instead of mopping up competitions. His mode of entry should have been buying up the market movers in the sector not settling for Consumers' empathy

I really hope someday, he'll wake up to find out that focusing and expanding he's current cashcows into other lucratuve frontiers in Africa and beyond is the way forward. Even Sir Richard Brandson didn't just diversify the Virgin Group with UK and the US, most Virgin Brands are global. Aliko Dangote can get there only if there's focus and expansion within and outside Nigeria. A word is enough for the wise!

Happening Now...

Couple of events ongoing in the ideas world..


National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance- San Francisco - March 25-27, 2010 here

..supporting technology innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education to create experiential learning opportunities for students and successful, socially beneficial businesses. This conference holding at San Francisco at the end of this week features entrepreneurs, researchers and grant making institutions.

 NCIIA also has a Sproxil Inc link.. The organization is a good resources for grant seeking persons in the US with great ideas, and capital handicap

Africa Gathering Conference- Washington DC - 23 & 24th of April, 2010 (London & Nairobi Later in the Year) here

Africa Gathering provides a space to bring technophiles, thinkers, entrepreneurs, innovators and everybody else together to talk about positive change in sustainable development, technology, social networking, health, education, environment and good governance in Africa.

Couple of speakers in DC including Teddy Ruge, a recent introduction. Sounds like fun networking opportunity for future innovators on our continent.

Side notes:

Then again, another classic by Friedman in NY Times..

In today’s wired world, the most important economic competition is no longer between countries or companies. The most important economic competition is actually between you and your own imagination. Today, just about everything is becoming a commodity, except imagination, except the ability to spark new ideas.