Beninese-Gabonese oil billionaire Samuel Dossou-Aworet is set to receive a final dividend of $8.9 million from his investment in Nigerian integrated energy producer Aradel Holdings Plc, extending another year of strong returns from one of Africa’s fastest-growing oil and gas companies. The payment follows a record financial performance by Aradel in 2025, as higher production and earnings translated into larger rewards for shareholders.

This highlights the value of Dossou-Aworet’s long-standing investment in Africa’s energy industry. Through his investment vehicles, Petrolin Trading Limited and Petrolin Ocean Limited, he owns 532,693,719 shares in Aradel, representing a 12.26 percent stake valued at $548 million. Based on the company’s proposed final dividend, his holding will generate N12.25 billion ($8.9 million), reinforcing his position as one of the company’s largest investors.

Strategic investments lift shareholder returns

Aradel plans to pay the final dividend on July 31 after shareholders approve the recommendation at its annual general meeting. The payment forms part of a proposed N99.93 billion ($73.4 million) distribution, following the board’s recommendation of a final dividend of N23 ($0.016) per share.

The latest payout comes on top of an interim dividend of N10 ($0.0073) per share, equivalent to N43.45 billion ($31.9 million), which was paid earlier in the year. From that interim distribution alone, Dossou-Aworet collected about N5.3 billion ($3.9 million).

The interim and proposed final dividends bring Aradel’s total shareholder distribution for the 2025 financial year to N33 per share, amounting to N143.4 billion ($105.3 million). The larger payout reflects a year in which the company delivered stronger operating results while expanding its footprint across Nigeria’s oil and gas industry through strategic investments.

Those investments were matched by a sharp improvement in financial performance. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, Aradel reported profit after tax of N757.3 billion ($555.7 million), up 192 percent from N259.1 billion ($190.1 million) recorded a year earlier. The increase reflected higher production, improved operating performance, and earnings contributions from recently completed acquisitions.

Stronger holdings support earnings growth

A major factor behind the results was Aradel’s increased ownership in ND Western Limited and its larger interest in Renaissance Africa Energy, where the company now holds an effective 53.3 percent stake. Those investments expanded Aradel’s presence across key parts of Nigeria’s oil and gas business, increasing production capacity and strengthening earnings during the year.

The stronger earnings also reshaped the company’s balance sheet. Total assets climbed to N9.9 trillion ($7.26 billion) at the end of 2025, compared with N1.75 trillion ($1.28 billion) a year earlier. Shareholders’ equity increased to N2.15 trillion ($1.57 billion), while cash and cash equivalents rose to N1.5 trillion ($1.1 billion), giving the company additional financial flexibility as it continues to expand its operations.