Inside singer Davido and billionaire Aliko Dangote’s longstanding bond

• Davido joins Aliko Dangote in New York as Dangote refinery IPO takes over Times Square

• Davido calls billionaire Dangote his ‘godfather’

• Davido recalls Aliko Dangote’s close relationship with his family since childhood

That bond came into focus again in New York on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, when Davido joined Dangote at Times Square as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals’ Initial Public Offering gained international attention.

Before the Times Square appearance, Davido had shared a video of himself and Dangote seated together on a bus.

“Get your IPOs if you want to get rich like us,” Davido said in the video.

The singer has also revealed that he was among those who invested in the Dangote refinery before its shares were opened to the public.

In a now-deleted X post months ago, Davido shared an investment form with the caption, “About to invest in my godfather's refinery”.

He deleted the post after realising that he had shared the document publicly.

But Davido’s connection with Dangote predates his interest in the refinery and his emergence as one of Africa’s biggest music stars.

Davido, born David Adedeji Adeleke, comes from one of Nigeria’s prominent business families. His father, Adedeji Adeleke, is a billionaire businessman and founder of Pacific Holdings.

Dangote has also maintained a longstanding relationship with the Adeleke family and has been familiar with Davido since childhood.

The singer has previously recalled how close Dangote was to his family, revealing that the businessman drove his mother home from the hospital after she gave birth to him.

That history has given their relationship a personal dimension that extends beyond their respective businesses and public profiles.

Davido has also spoken about the advice Dangote has given him over the years, particularly about money.

According to the singer, Dangote has repeatedly advised him to save his money, a lesson that has remained with him as his music career has grown into a global business.

Their relationship has therefore spanned different stages of Davido’s life, from his childhood connection with the businessman to his emergence as an international music star and entrepreneur.

Their latest public appearance brought that longstanding relationship to a global stage.

Davido joined Dangote as the refinery’s IPO campaign appeared on a massive Nasdaq digital billboard in Times Square.

During their interaction in New York, Davido asked Dangote why Nigerians should buy shares in the refinery.

Dangote explained that wider ownership would help spread prosperity and wealth across Africa.

“It is very important, David, because that’s the only way to spread prosperity and wealth throughout Africa. This is not going to be the first and the last; we will continue to do even our fertilizer. By the time we finish listing, every single African will own part of our businesses, and they will create, you know, a pool of cash,” Dangote said.

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