Shehu Usman Shagari was born in 1925 in the northern Shagari village founded by his great-grandfather, Ahmadu Rufa'i, who was also the Village Head, and took the name Shagari as his family name. 


He worked as a teacher for a brief period before entering politics in 1951.


In 1954, Shehu Shagari was elected into his first public office as a member ofthe federal House of Representative for Sokoto west. In 1958, Shagari was appointed as parliamentary secretary (he left the post in 1959) to the Nigerian Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and that year he also served as the Federal Minister for commerce and Industries.


Following the Nigerian civil war, from 1970 to 1971, Shagari was appointed by the military head of state General Yakubu Gowon as the federal commissioner for economic development, rehabilitation and reconstruction.


From 1971 to 1975 he served as the Federal commissioner (position now called minister) of finance. During his tenure as the commissioner of finance for Nigeria, Shagari was also a governor for the World Bank and a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) committee of twenty.


In 1978, Shehu Shagari was a founding member of the National Party of Nigeria. In 1979 Shagari was chosen by the party as the presidential candidate for general election that year, which he won becoming the president and head  of state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.


Shagari led government was overthrown by General Muhammadu Buhari in a military coup on December 31, 1983.


Shehu shagari rejected the presidential villa for ex presidents.

Source: https://www.suavedef.com.ng/2018/12/facts-about-late-shehu-shagari.html