Babacar Kébé, known as Ndiouga or El Hadji Babacar Kébé, was a titan in the Senegalese business world. He was born in 1914 in Kebé Ndeuth in the Louga region and died on 13th March, 1984 in Dakar, and buried in Touba Mbacké.
He was reputed to be among the richest men in Senegal during the 1970s and 1980s. A fervent disciple of Mouridism, he was said to be among the greatest benefactors of Mouridism. To better understand this multifaceted man, Dakar’s EnQuête newspaper early this week interviewed his daughter, Ndeye Anta Kebé, who speaks about her father, his achievements, his relationships with Serigne Touba and other religious families, the government, The Gambia and the legacy he left them.
EnQuête: Could you tell us about your father’s birth and career?
Ndeye Anta Kebé: Could you tell us about your father’s birth and career? El Hadji Babacar Kebe, also known as Ndiouga, was born in 1914 in Kaolack. His father, of Soninké [Serahule] origin from the Guete line, a line of great nobility, was from the same lineage as [Mouride luminaries] Serigne Modou Awa Balla of Mame Thierno and Serigne Mbacké Sokhona Lo. His father was Mballo Kebé, a great marabout known throughout the Saloum region, who treated many illnesses and possessed extensive knowledge. He was a close friend of Serigne Bassirou Mbacke (father of the current caliph general of the Mourides) and [Sufi saint] Baye Niasse.
His grandmother, Asta Binta Kébé, was a saint who mastered the Qur’an, prayed frequently, and taught it. His father, Anakham Kébé, who founded the village of Kébé Ndeuth, was known throughout the Ndiambour region and even beyond. He had even predicted my father’s arrival. His mother shares my name. Her name is Sokhona Anta Samb. She also came from a prominent noble family, descended from queens. Her mother, Massata Samb, was highly respected throughout Ndiambour [or Diambour is a former province of Cayor, roughly corresponding to the present-day Louga region in northwestern Senegal]. She was from the Tiedieké lineage.
Although his mother’s family was wealthy, my father didn’t have the means because he didn’t charge exorbitant fees for his consultations.
So Baye Ndiouga, despite the Soninkeé people belonging to a long line of wealthy individuals, lived in poverty. He attended Qur’anic school and by the age of 18 already owned a groundnut field. He spent over twenty years trading between Senegal and The Gambia, braving all sorts of hardships. He also settled in Tambacounda [the largest city in southeastern Senegal, 400km from Dakar], and, ran a thriving tamarind business.
Later on, he travelled to several countries in West and Central Africa to work but also to deepen his religious knowledge. The Kébé people, since the time of the Ghana Empire, that is to say the Wagadou Empire which encompassed Mali and Senegal, have always inherited maraboutic gifts, the knowledge of which is passed down from generation to generation.
When people talk about Ndiouga Kebe, many think of his wealth. How did he become rich?
From his early teens, young Ndiouga displayed extraordinary physical strength, courage, and bravery, as well as a keen business sense and a strong will to succeed and lift his family out of poverty. He was very generous, spoke little, and shared even his smallest resources with those around him. As he grew older, his ambitions became increasingly apparent. By the age of 20, this tireless worker already owned a groundnut field that provided him with a comfortable income. While most young men had started families, he chose to remain single and focus on his work and how to grow his business. Being incredibly generous and openhearted, sharing his earnings with anyone who asked, he felt he needed more than just his groundnut field to help those less fortunate.
In 1930s Senegal, he already believed he had a destiny to achieve great things and leave his mark on his country’s history. With the global crisis [the Great Depression and World war 2], he would travel to The Gambia, which was dangerous at the time, or swim across the Gambia River to buy goods, which he would then resell in his hometown. He remained tireless.
In 1939, with the outbreak of World War 2, Senegal’s economic situation worsened. Thus, Ndiouga, still single at 25, a rarity at the time, continued to travel to The Gambia, returning to Kaolack to resell the goods that were needed, ensuring him a comfortable income.
When the border was closed, he spent his time in seclusion, performing zikr and engaging in extra prayers. Beyond his business acumen, and deep interest in religious and mystical sciences, he took advantage of his stays in The Gambia to spend time with and learned from Mandinka marabouts. Without a doubt, there was no ethnic group he held in higher esteem than the Mandinka. His closest confidant, the one closest to him, was a Mandinka. All his male domestic servants in all his wives’ homes were Mandinka.
With a thirst for discovery, in 1945 he followed the railway line and then walked through the bush to reach Tambacounda, where he knew no one. He was 31 years old. He was driven by a primary motivation to help his mother. With his characteristic audacity, he went to see the canton commander, who gave him food and temporary lodging. Ndiouga had a comfortable income, but despite his generous nature, he never managed to truly save. However, his pride, dignity, and upbringing prevented him from being dependent on anyone. Three days after his arrival, he decided to become self-reliant.
With his characteristic business acumen, he observed what was selling best at the market. Seeing that tamarind was highly prized, armed with a simple machete, he went into the nearby forest, teeming with wild animals, to harvest it. Soon traders flocked to buy sackfuls of tamarind from him.
He invested heavily in real estate, especially in the city centre. What do you think explains this choice?
My father was a visionary ahead of his time. His biggest investments weren’t in the city centre, but in Fann Résidence and throughout Senegal. He bought land in Almadies to build the Almadies Hotel and even constructed the road. He invested in Tambacounda, Kaolack, Touba, and Diourbel. It’s just that the Kebé Building is better known. He invested in up-and-coming areas that were neglected at the time.
What was his relationship with the political regime at the time?
He was apolitical and had no particular relationship with presidents Leopold Senghor or Abdou Diouf. They approached him whenever the state needed help paying civil servants’ salaries, investing in state-owned and semi-public companies, creating new ones, buying cars for the president, and rescuing bankrupt companies. He was a key figure in the development of modern Senegal. And yet, no street bears his name. He bought luxury cars for the presidents of the republic. He helped the state rehabilitate the BHS (Banque de Haute-Savoie) and other banks. He invested in the mining industry. He made donations to companies at the state’s request. He bought buses for Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. He built the Almadies road and main roads in Touba. He bought seaplanes for the Niokolo-Koba National Park. He bought mortgages so that homeowners wouldn’t lose their houses. He enabled the state to establish several public companies. He helped build the Independence Hotel. He helped open up Tambacounda. He built mosques and wells all over Senegal. He created the first supermarket in Senegal. He was the first hotel investor in Senegal. Beyond Senegal, several other countries in the sub-region sought his help. He distributed clothing and food throughout Senegal. The question is, in which sector did he not invest?
Tell us a little about his life as a Mouride? His relationships with the sheikhs of that time, as well as other religious families?
His father, Serigne Mballo Kébé, had shown respect to Serigne Touba. Serigne Touba told him to go to Saloum to be near Serigne Bassirou Mbacke, the father of the current caliph. This is why he left Ndiambour for Kaolack, where his children were born. All my father’s children are disciples of Serigne Bassirou Mbacké. His contributions to Mouridism are numerous. My father’s eldest son was named after Serigne Bassirou.
He had a profound devotion to his spiritual guide, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba. What explains this?
I can’t say what explains it, but no one loved Serigne Touba more than him, except for Cheikh Ibrahima Fall. He often wept when Serigne Touba was spoken of.
He was among the benefactors of the Mourides. Tell us a little about his contributions to Mouridism?
He accomplished a great deal. He initiated the expansion of the Touba mosque. He also oversaw the drilling of a well in Touba. He built the mausoleum of Serigne Bassirou. He bought houses in Darou Miname for all of Serigne Bassirou’s daughters, bought the latest cars for all of Serigne Touba’s sons, and provided food every year to all of Serigne Touba’s sheikhs. He looked after Serigne Touba’s daughters. He had installed the famous lamp that hung above Serigne Touba’s mausoleum for decades. He bought land and houses from people in Touba. When he passed away, he was building his palace in Touba. He had built the Touba market and initiated and directed all the construction projects in Touba as the main investor.
Editor’s note: Ndiouga Kebe’s eldest son named after Serigne Bassirou Mbacké, is married to a Gambian. He told The Standard that his father’s closest collaborator in The Gambia was Alhaji Basiru Jawara and that Mr Jawara has stood in as father figure to the Kebé family since the demise of the patriarch in 1984.