Who is Aliko Dangote's ex-wife, Mariya A D Muhammad Rufai? Let's find out
Mariya A. D. Muhammad Rufai is the ex-wife of Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote. Their marriage ended in divorce, but they share a daughter, Fatima Dangote, who is involved in the family’s business empire. A former Bauchi State commissioner for women’s affairs, Mariya has largely stayed out of the public spotlight since the separation while pursuing her own business interests in Abuja.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Mariya was born in Bauchi State, Nigeria.
- She was the second wife of Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote.
- The couple later got divorced for unknown reasons.
- Her marriage to the billionaire, Dangote, brought forth a child named Fatima Dangote.
- After her divorce from Dangote, Mariya married the Governor of Bauchi State.
Mariya A D Muhammad Rufai's profile summary
Full name | Mariya A D Muhammad Rufai |
Place of birth | Bauchi State, Nigeria |
Father | Senator A. D. Rufai |
Religion | Muslim |
Ethnicity | Hausa |
Children | Fatima Dangote |
Marital status | Divorced |
Known for | Dangote's ex-wife |
Who is Aliko Dangote's ex-wife?
Dangote's ex-wife is Mariya A D Muhammad Rufai. She was born in Bauchi State, Nigeria.
Early life
There is no information about her early life and education. Her father was Senator A. D. Rufai (Ahmadu Danyami Rufai), who was a Second Republic senator from Bauchi.
Career
Mariya was the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Human Services in Bauchi State, Nigeria, from 2001 to 2004.
Source: Original
Marriage to Dangote and divorce
The couple later got divorced for unknown reasons. The exact date of their divorce remains unknown.
Her marriage to Africa's richest man, Dangote, brought forth a child named Fatima Dangote.
Life after divorce from Dangote
After her divorce from Dangote, Mariya married the Governor of Bauchi State around 2000. Mariya was his third wife; the Governor had three other wives. The couple subsequently divorced, as the governor unceremoniously kicked Mariya out of their matrimonial home in 2010, following a disagreement.
According to PMNewsNigeria, one of the reasons for the separation was because Maria was leaking important information about the state to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed.
Mariya likely had at least two other children with the Bauchi State governor, as the article states that she left with her three children.
Who is Dangote's wife?
Source: Getty Images
Right now, there is no substantial information about the billionaire's wife since he is a divorcee. After divorcing his former wives, Zainab and Mariya, Dangote has kept his love life under wraps.
In early 2021, he made headlines after two socialites (Bea Lewis and Autumn Spikes) posted on social media admitting they dated the businessman. However, Dangote has never issued a direct, personal public statement regarding the claims made by the ladies.
Who is Dangote's son?
The billionaire surprisingly has an adopted son called Abdulrahman Fasasi. He takes after his father in business, as he is a successful businessman.
Does Aliko Dangote have biological children?
Yes, Aliko Dangote has three biological daughters. His two older daughters are from his first marriage to Zainab, and his youngest daughter is from his second marriage to Mariya.
His children are:
- Mariya Dangote: His eldest daughter, who holds key management and leadership roles in the family conglomerate.
- Halima Dangote: His second daughter, who serves as a senior executive (Group Executive Director) within Dangote Industries Limited.
- Fatima Dangote: His youngest daughter, who serves as a group executive director and manages commercial operations.
FAQs
- What are the ages of Aliko Dangote's children? The exact birth dates and ages of Dangote's children are largely kept private by the family.
- Who are Dangote's daughters married to? Aliko Dangote's youngest daughter, Fatima, is married to pilot Jamil Abubakar, the son of Nigeria's former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar. His second daughter, Halima, is married to businessman Sulaiman Sani Bello.
- How many wives did Aliko Dangote have? Dangote has been married twice. He married his first wife, Hajia Zainab, in 1977, and they later divorced. He later married Mariya Muhammad Rufai as his second wife, and that marriage also ended in divorce.
- What is Aliko Dangote's religion? The Nigerian businessman is a practising Muslim.
- What is Aliko Dangote's tribe? He belongs to the Hausa ethnic group of northern Nigeria.
- What is Aliko Dangote's net worth? Dangote has an estimated net worth of $28.5 billion as of this writing, according to Forbes. He has interests in various industries such as cement and oil.
- What cars does Aliko Dangote own? Aliko maintains a famously disciplined approach to vehicles, reportedly buying only about two cars every eight years and prioritising industrial investments over luxury fleets. These include an armoured or older-model Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a Chinese-made Fang Cheng Bao Leopard 8 plug-in hybrid SUV, a Maybach 57S and a Bugatti Veyron.
Mariya A D Muhammad Rufai is the ex-wife of Aliko Dangote. They are no longer together because they divorced. Today, she runs businesses in Abuja, Nigeria. Despite being linked to Africa's richest man and sharing a daughter, she prefers to lead a private life.
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Proofreading by Rianette Cluley, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
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