Taiwo Afolabi and Sayyu Dantata are, no doubt, successful businessmen with indelible imprints in the business world. While one grew his business with the help of his alleged connection to the corridors of power and alleged waivers, the other is a study on how one can build a conglomerate by sheer dint of hard work, grit and determination. Bottom line, both men play major roles in Nigeria’s business landscape. One is Sayyu Dantata, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of MRS Holdings Ltd, formerly, MRS Group.
A half-brother to Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, Dantata started his career as Director of the Engineering and Transport Division of Dangote Group, considered the Largest Nigerian conglomerate, before setting out to found MRS Holdings.
The other is Taiwo Afolabi, chairman, founder and CEO of SIFAX Group, one of the leading conglomerates in Nigeria. Afolabi started operation as SIFAX Nigeria Limited, a freight forwarding agency in Lagos rendering services such as haulage and warehousing operations until the company metamorphosed due to its rapid growth to several subsidiaries, such as, maritime, aviation, logistics, oil and gas, financial services and hospitality.
Both Afolabi and Dantata have taken their business acumen to the next level. MRS and Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc, SAHCO, a company Afolabi owns and a leading airport and aviation service provider, were both revealed during the week to be the local investors in the national carrier, Nigeria Air. SACHO which was carved out of the defunct Nigeria Airways, was handed over to the Sifax Group in 2009 by the Federal Government after a keenly contested privatization in which Sifax Group came first as the preferred bidder with the sum of N5 billion naira.
While MRS and SAHCO alongside other unnamed interests will own 46 per cent equity, the Federal Government will own 5 per cent equity, while Ethiopian Airlines will own 49 per cent equity. What this means in essence therefore, is that there is some likelihood that the national carrier may finally take off, two years after it was inaugurated. But what is more, the two companies, SAHCO and MRS which have shown considerable level of consistency over the years with their operations in the aviation sector, have further proven by this investment, that their dream of operating air carriers fully and in their individual capacities, is only but a matter of time. Hopefully this latest development will help to uplift the spirit of Afolabi who suffered a devastating blow with the loss of his twin brother, Kenny a few months after they both celebrated their 60th birthday.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
