Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has admonished Africans to shun hate and any form of violence on their fellow Africans if they want the continent to prosper.
The Nigerian business magnate made the comment in reaction to the ongoing xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, especially Nigerians in South Africa.
Foreign businesses have been destroyed and looted by angry South African youths.
Ghana and Nigeria have told its citizens to "avoid travelling to high risk and volatile areas" in South Africa until the situation is brought under control.
Nigerians have begun retaliatory attacks on South African businesses in a number of Nigerian cities forcing telecommunications giant - MTN - to close all its shops and service centres.
Mr Dangote ranked by Forbes magazine as the 100th-richest person in the world in a tweet said: “Our aspirations for a shared and sustainable prosperity can only be achieved when we live in peace and unity, shunning hate and any form of violent attack on African brotherhood.
“It is time for Africans to put Africa at the center of its own development, by harnessing our entrepreneurial and intellectual skills. Let us collectively shun hate and reprisal attacks.”
Our aspirations for a shared and sustainable prosperity can only be achieved when we live in peace and unity, shunning hate and any form of violent attack on African brotherhood...(1/2)
— Aliko Dangote (@AlikoDangote) September 4, 2019