The Dangote question was about more than having a male child, It was about hypocrisy

Aliko Dangote was asked whether he regrets not having a male heir, or whether he still plans to have one despite being in his 60s.

Personally, I wouldn't have asked the question as a reporter. I don't consider someone's decision about having a male or female child particularly relevant to assessing his business achievements or the future of his companies.

But I also understand why the Arise News reporter asked it.

Because Nigerians talk about this all the time.

The obsession with the “male child” is deeply embedded in everyday conversations about family, inheritance, succession and legacy.

People discuss it at weddings.

At family gatherings.

In workplaces.

In markets.

On social media.

And often, the same people participating in those conversations suddenly become outraged when a journalist puts the question to one of Nigeria's most prominent businessmen.

That is the hypocrisy worth discussing.

Dangote's response was actually more interesting than the question.

He essentially rejected the assumption that having a son automatically produces a capable successor. A male child is not a guarantee of competence, character, discipline or business ability.

And that is an important distinction.

Biology doesn't determine leadership.

A successor should ultimately be judged by capability, preparation, character and the ability to carry an institution forward—not simply by whether they are male.

So yes, the question can be considered intrusive or irrelevant.

But let's not pretend the reporter invented the conversation.

The reporter asked aloud what millions of Nigerians routinely ask privately.

If we genuinely want that conversation to disappear, then perhaps the criticism shouldn't be directed only at the journalist who asked the question.

We should also examine the culture that made the question seem worth asking in the first place.

This isn't a debate about whether Dangote should have a son.

It isn't an argument for or against male children.

It is about hypocrisy.

You cannot spend years participating in the “Where is the male heir?” conversation and then suddenly discover journalistic ethics when a reporter asks the question publicly.

The uncomfortable questions are often simply reflections of the uncomfortable conversations society already has.