If there is one Nigerian entrepreneur whose name has attracted both successes and controversies, business magnate, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal fits that bill perfectly. To the Katsina-born billionaire, his guiding principle is to be the best at everything. A flash of that was seen when he started his airline business some years ago. At one point, Mangal generated some worries from others who feared the competitiveness and domination he brought to the business. Indeed, at a point, his Max Air became the perfect choice of air travellers. This made Mangal to acquire more aircraft into Max Air’s fleet. And it’s been smooth sailing until recent weeks when the billionaire businessman suffered some bad news.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended the domestic operations of his Max Air over safety concerns, and days later, the news of his bereavement hit the news. The billionaire, some weeks ago, lost his darling wife, Aisha Mangal at a hospital in Abuja after a brief illness. The loss was the third straight one to have affected the businessman in recent times having lost his younger brother who was CEO of Max Air late last year, while his son had died earlier. In spite of these train of bereavements, some traducers are already writing the epitaph of his airline. But the tycoon thinks otherwise as he has remained focused and unwavering in chasing his dreams. Spotlight learnt that Mangal is sorting the issues with the concerned aviation regulators to get his suspended airline back on air and pick up his business operations from where it stops.
Mangal, one of Nigeria’s wealthiest individuals is also the owner of Dragon Oil and Gas —with an oil exploration in Ivory Coast. His Afdin Group, a conglomerate also owns an LPG Plant, construction firms, rice processing mill and fertilizer plant.