Africa’s foremost industrialist and President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has been appointed Grand Patron of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF) 2026, in recognition of his contribution to entrepreneurship, business development and economic transformation across Africa.
The appointment was formally presented during a visit by the GEF Board to Dangote, where the business leader was also honoured with a special recognition for his decades of contribution to enterprise development and investment across key sectors of the African economy.
The engagement and appointment were facilitated through the efforts of Dr Elizabeth Jack-Rich, Vice Chairman of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, who played a central role in fostering the relationship between the GEF leadership and Dangote.
Her involvement reflects the Festival’s broader objective of connecting established African business leaders with emerging entrepreneurs and strengthening the role of African enterprise within the global entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The delegation, led by the President of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, Dr Summy Smart Francis, described Dangote’s appointment as a significant addition to the 2026 Festival, citing his extensive experience in building businesses, creating economic opportunities and investing across Africa.
With Dangote as Grand Patron, the Global Entrepreneurship Festival seeks to deepen its engagement with business leaders, investors, innovators and institutions capable of expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs and advancing enterprise-led economic development across Africa and beyond.
The 2026 edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival is scheduled to hold in Egypt from November 6 to 8, 2026, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, innovators, policymakers and institutions from different parts of the world.
The Festival is expected to provide a platform for networking, investment opportunities, knowledge exchange and collaboration while highlighting the growing role of African entrepreneurs in shaping the continent’s economic future.
