Joseph Makoju, a former group managing director and chief executive officer of Dangote Cement, is dead.

A family source confirmed that he died at about 12pm on Monday at his Abuja residence.

The cause of Makoju’s death was, however, not divulged.

Burial arrangements are said to be currently ongoing.

Born on July 13, 1948, in Okene, Kogi state, Makoju was a Harford award winner of Government College, Kaduna and also a J. F. Kennedy essays award winner of Federal Government College, Warri.

He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Nottingham, UK, where he graduated with a first-class honour in 1972. He also bagged a master of philosophy in mechanical engineering in 1974 from the same university.

The engineer attended National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies NIPSS, Kuru, Jos, from 1989 to 1990 and also held an honorary doctor of science degree in engineering from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.

Makoju served as a special adviser on electric power to former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo.

He was also the honorary adviser to the president/chief executive, Dangote Group, and was a one-time chairman, Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.

Makoju retired as the GMD/CEO of Dangote Cement in 2020, a position he had held since April 2018.

He was the pioneer chairman of the Board of the West African Power Pool and a former managing director of the National Electric Power Authority (Power Holding Company of Nigeria).

Makoju belonged to several professional bodies including the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Institute of Management and the British Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

He was awarded Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR) and Grand Commander of the Special Order of Merit (GCSO), Niger Republic.