In what may well be a meeting of vision and fortune, Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera sat down with Africa’s business colossus, Aliko Dangote, on the sidelines of the Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Abuja, Nigeria — a move that sent ripples of speculation across economic and political circles.
Dangote, who commands Africa’s largest UREA fertilizer complex and has recently constructed a mega oil refinery that would make even Gulf oil barons blink, is not a man who takes meetings lightly. He is, as of March 2025, the world’s wealthiest black person, according to Forbes. The fact that President Chakwera was accorded audience with such a titan speaks volumes — as the proverb goes, “if you want honey, don’t kick the beehive.”
The meeting wasn’t just ceremonial. Insiders believe Chakwera was doing more than just exchanging pleasantries; whispers hint at early talks around securing an oil supply deal for Malawi — a country desperate to cut down fuel costs and stabilise its economy. It’s the kind of diplomatic hustle Malawians have been yearning for — not just speeches, but serious deals.
“You don’t chase chickens when the eagle has landed,” one observer quipped — alluding to how high-level talks like these could transform Malawi’s economic terrain if sealed.
If Malawi is to move from the margins of economic stagnation to the fast lanes of continental trade, it needs leadership that’s not afraid to knock on billion-dollar doors — and clearly, Chakwera is already inside. No wonder many are now boldly saying: “Let Chakwera finish what he started — even up to 2030.” After all, you don’t change a winning horse in the middle of a race.
