Fact-Check: X User Directly Reference Tinubu in an Old Video of Dangote’s Statement at ‘CBN Going for Growth, a Consultative Roundtable with the CBN Governor’

BY: Oluwaseye Ogunsanya 

Claim

An X user posted a video of Aliko Dangote speaking on the travails of Nigerian entrepreneurs. 

Verdict

Misleading. The video is not recent and Bola Tinubu had not been elected as president when Dangote made the statement. 

Full Text

An X user Chude Nnamdi @Chude__ posted a video of Aliko Dangote speaking on the travails of Nigerian entrepreneurs. 

In the caption accompanying the post, the claimant used the word ‘Bulaba’ as a direct reference to President Bola Tinubu making it appear that the video was recent. 

“Bulaba turned a whole Dangote to a Comedian 😭” he wrote. 

Recall that the President had used the word in 2022 at a town hall meeting in Imo State when he was campaigning to run for the office of the president.

In the short video clip which was also posted by other users here and here, the billionaire jokingly spoke on how God will judge Nigerian entrepreneurs on the judgement day.

“…I say that on judgement day, God will say where are those entrepreneurs from Nigeria, once we raise our hands, he will say okay you cannot be punished twice, go to heaven” he said to the laughter of the audience. 

Dangote has been in the news lately after claims that a cabal was frustrating his moves to import crude and how it has been difficult to get the products, slowing down operations of his 650,000 bpd Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals located in Lekki Lagos. 

FactCheckAfrica worked on this claim to check if it is a recent comment by Dangote.

Verification 

FactCheckAfrica took a screenshot of the video clip and ran a reverse image search with it using Google Lens. The result of the search led us to a number of posts indicating that it has been recently used. 

However, a further search led us to a similar video clip posted by an X user named Akin Sawyerr. The videos which was dated 14, June 2019 showed the founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside Speaking at a forum organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria. 

According to a PM News photo story, the event which was held on June 8th, 2019 was a Consultative Roundtable with the then CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, christened ‘CBN Going for Growth’. It had in attendance the Publisher, Thisday Newspapers, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena; Founder, Zenith Bank Plc., Mr. Jim Ovia; Chairman, Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Founder, Stanbic Bank IBTC Plc, Mr. Atedo Peterside. 

Conclusion 

Going by our findings, the video was not recent as it was made to be by the claimant, as a matter of fact, Bola Tinubu has not been elected as president when Dangote made the statement. 

Edited by: Habeeb Adisa