Alakija, Otedola Missing From Forbes 2020 List of World Billionaires

Forbes on Tuesday released the 2020 list of world billionaires, which saw a total of 2,095 of the world’s wealthiest; ranked in the order of their considerable net worth.

However, the list had a number of notable absentees from Nigeria including one of Africa’s richest women, Folorunsho Alakija and billionaire magnate, Femi Otedola, among others.

As a matter of fact, the Forbes 2020 list of billionaires had only three Nigerians on the list. They include business tycoon, Aliko Dangote; oil and telecoms mogul, Mike Adenuga and billionaire businessman, Abdulsamad Rabiu.

The omission of Alakija will definitely come across as a surprise to many.

In 2019, the oil mogul made the Forbes list of world billionaires and was ranked 1941 in a global list of 2,153 billionaires; with an estimated fortune of $1.1 billion. However, she dropped off the global billionaires’ list this year.

Alakija, who was ranked 19th richest African in 2019, is the vice chairperson of Famfa Oil; an oil exploration company with a stake in Agbami Oilfield, a prolific offshore asset.

Famfa Oil’s partners include Chevron and Petrobras.

Alakija’s first company was a fashion label whose customers included the wife of former Nigerian military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

The Nigerian government awarded Alakija’s company an oil prospecting license in 1993; which was later converted to an oil mining lease – Agbami field; which commenced operation in 2008.

On the other hand, Otedola’s absence on the global list is more understandable.

The former Forte Oil honcho last featured in the global billionaires’ list in 2016. Back then, he was estimated to be worth $1.8 billion and was ranked 1011 in the world.

However, he dropped off the global list in 2017 and has not featured since.

Of the three Nigerians who featured in the Forbes 2020 list, Dangote retained his position as Africa’s richest man.

However, the wealthy industrialist saw his wealth drop by nearly $2.6 billion compared to 2019.

Dangote currently sits at 162 on the list of 2,095 billionaires in 2020 with a net worth of $8.3 billion. In 2019, Dangote’s fortune was estimated at $10.9 billion by Forbes.

However, he remains the richest black person in the world.

He is followed by Adenuga, with his net worth pegged at $5.6 billion.

However, Adenuga also lost $3.5 billion from his 2019 fortune of $9.1 billion. He occupies the 286^th position on the global list and is the third richest African in 2020.

The third Nigerian on the Forbes 2020 global list of billionaires, Rabiu, is the founder of BUA Group; a Nigerian conglomerate active in cement production, sugar refining and real estate.

Rabiu comes in at number 712 on the 2020 list with a net worth of $2.9 billion. Equally important, he occupies the 8^th position on the 2020 list of richest Africans.

Meanwhile, Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, retains the enviable title of the world’s richest person for the third year in a row.

He is followed by Microsoft supremo, Bill Gates and French luxury goods tycoon, Bernard Arnault; in second and third place respectively.

American investor, Warren Buffett is fourth, with the top five completed by Lawrence Joseph Ellison, business magnate, co-founder and executive chairman of Oracle Corporation.