By Niyi Tabiti/News Editor

Nigerian born billionaire commodity merchant, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has retained a place on the list of the world richest men alive, according to a Forbes World Richest Billionaires released on Wednesday 10 March 2010. Dangote, who hails from the northern part of the country has been in business for many years with interest in almost all sectors of the economy, including politics where he is known to be one of the financial backers of the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party.Dangote's netwoth was put at $2.1 billion

 This would be the third time that the 52 year old Chairman of Dangote group of companies would be making the list.He was listed as the 463 in the world. Another Nigerian, Mr, Femi Otedola, whose name was mentioned on the World's richest billionaires list of Forbes in 2009 was conspicuously missing from this year's list.Otedola, a former best friend and business partner of Mr. Dangote, owns Zenon Oil and Gas amogst other businesses.

A business executive who spoke with www.gistmaster.com disclosed that there are several billionaires whose fortune can not be listed because of the way they managed to amassed fortune, otherwise Nigeria would have had more people making the world richest list. "Look at the Abachas, the Babangidas and several others who made so much money durning their reign in government. I also beg to disagree to some extent that someone like General TY Danjuma (rtd) won't make a list like this.despite all the oil blocs alocated to them and how they are resold for billions of dollars. What about illegal oil bunkerers in the Niger Delta?"

Meanwhile some well known South African billionaires also made the list.Nicky Oppenheinmer, a citizen of Johanesburg, South Africa was listed as 154 in the Forbes list of World's richest billionaires 2010. He runs De Beers, world's largest producers of Diamond. He accumulated his fortune from inheritance.He is married with a child.He estimated fortune is put at $5.0 billion

Patrice Motsepe, a self made billionaire was listed as 421 with an estimated networth of $2.3 billion.The South African his married to a beautiful lady who runs African Fashion International and together they have 3 children. He major business interest s mining.

 Johann Rupert Family, another South African also has an estimated networth of $2.3 billion. Also listed as 421 on the world richest list 2010,Johann deals in Luxury goods.

The question here is where will Otunba Mike Adenuga, the Chairman,GLOBACOM a leading telecom company in West Africa gets on the list?