Namibia’s Honorary Consul Denies Charging Dangote $1m To Meet President

Namibia’s Honorary Consul in Nigeria, Justin Chuma Anosike, has denied allegations that he invoiced Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote US$1 million to facilitate a meeting with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

Anosike said no introduction or other fee was requested in connection with the meeting.

The denial follows separate allegations that confidential Cabinet minutes and strategic documents from the National Planning Commission, NPC, were leaked to Anosike and later passed to a senior executive within the Dangote Group.

In a written response to the Windhoek Observer, Anosike said Dangote himself asked him to facilitate the visit to the President in July 2025.

“I facilitated a visit by Dangote to President Netumbo in July 2025,” Anosike said.

He added that he attended some bilateral discussions at State House and later accompanied Dangote to Walvis Bay, where the businessman inspected port facilities.

On the payment claim, Anosike said: “I never prior to or during the said visit requested any sort of ‘introduction or other fee’ for facilitating the visit.”

He however confirmed that after the visit he submitted a Strategic Advisory Agreement proposal to Dangote at the businessman’s request.

According to Anosike, the proposal related to specific advisory services he would provide in connection with the proposed investment.

“Subsequent to the visit and upon request by Dangote, I proposed a ‘Strategic Advisory Agreement’ for specific services I would render to Dangote pursuant to the proposed Project,” he said.

Anosike said Dangote did not respond to the proposal but instead circulated it alongside what he described as a “false narrative.”

“Dangote never reverted, but chose to circulate my proposal along with a false narrative for reasons best known to him,” he said.

He also confirmed that no money was ultimately paid to him by Dangote.

NPC Director-General Kaire Mbuende also rejected the allegations that confidential documents were shared with Anosike.

Speaking to the Windhoek Observer, Mbuende said his first interaction with Anosike was at State House during Dangote’s meeting with President Nandi-Ndaitwah. Subsequent engagements, he said, focused on attracting foreign direct investment.

“So we had a few meetings in that capacity. Then, of course, whenever there is a Namibian function, we were in New York at the UN, and there was a Namibian function, he attended those functions. And that really has been my association with him, and nothing beyond that,” Mbuende said.

Asked if any document relating to the Dangote project was provided to Anosike, Mbuende said: “No. There was no document.”

He said details of the proposed investment had largely been presented openly.

“They made a presentation about what they want to do in Namibia. They want to put up a tank farm to supply oil to neighbouring countries. They want to put up a pipeline to supply the neighbouring countries from here and so forth,” Mbuende said.

“These are all, they have also been releasing statements and that we have read in the newspapers. So there was nothing confidential.”

Mbuende said Cabinet had approved government support and facilitation for the project.

“There was a Cabinet decision there, to promote and facilitate the project. And there is no Cabinet confidential document with Dangote or anything,” he said.

According to Mbuende, the proposed investment involves establishing a tank farm in Walvis Bay to supply oil to neighbouring countries, along with related infrastructure. Discussions have covered land, import duties, visas and access to the jetty.

He said Namport initially allocated land for the tank farm but negotiations stalled, after which the Dangote Group pursued alternative land through the Walvis Bay municipality.

The jetty issue was referred to an inter-ministerial committee involving the ministry of industries, mines and energy and other relevant institutions.

“My role, really, as a government, is to make sure that this project comes to fruition. And I’m dealing primarily with government institutions to make it happen, and that’s the mandate I was given,” Mbuende said.

Anosike also denied leaking confidential government documents to anyone within the Dangote Group and said he did not obtain any documents relating to the Dangote project from the NPC.

“I never leaked any confidential documents to any member of the Dangote group,” he said.

“I did not obtain any documents relating to the Dangote project,” he added.

He said his interactions with Mbuende were conducted in his capacity as Honorary Consul and focused on attracting FDI and identifying strategic business opportunities.

Anosike said he had not been approached or questioned by any government authority concerning the alleged document leaks or the US$1 million payment.

He described the allegations as “completely false, baseless and malicious” and said he had served as Honorary Consul for more than a decade without incident.

Mbuende said Anosike had previously introduced potential investors to him, including US-based investors, but nothing came of those engagements. He also said he did not regard his relationship with Anosike as having deteriorated.

The Windhoek Observer said it sought comment from Dangote’s local representative, Ipupa Fadeyi, regarding the alleged Strategic Advisory Agreement, the US$1 million payment request and the alleged leaked documents.

No response had been received from the Dangote Group at the time of publication.