Alhaji Tajudeen Dantata attended Saint Thomas Secondary School Kano, Victoria College in Alexandria Egypt and Manaret College in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia before attending West London University, where he bagged a B.Sc in Business Studies in 1988.
He started his business career in the Dantata group as a group director in 1988 and was appointed the Group Managing Director in 1994. He has held the position since then, consolidating the group to what it is today- a conglomerate of successful companies.
Apart from his accomplishments in the Dantata group, Alhaji Tajudeen has also been representing the interests of the group in several Nigerian companies including Electric Metre Company of Nigeria (EMCON) of which he is the chairman and others like, Virgin Nigeria Airways, Mentholatum Nigeria Limited, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria and NAL Bank Plc where he is a director. He was recently appointed chairman of the board of Starcomms, a leading CDMA telecommunications provider.
As Group Managing Director of Dantata Organization, he has gathered a wealth of experience for over a decade in various sectors of the economy, which include oil exploration, manufacturing, banking and finance, import and export, farming as well as merchandising and commodity trading.
As a government appointee, he held various positions including Chairman, Kano State Tourism Board and Chairman, Kano State Housing Corporation. He has attended various courses both in Nigeria and overseas, one amongst many is the Petroleum Technology and Operations Overview (1992), in Houston, Texas, USA.
Alhaji Dantata presently serves as the President for TAMIDAN Group Nigeria Ltd, the parent company for Dantata Foods & Allied Products Ltd (DFAP).
Aliko Dangote was born in the northern Nigerian state of Kano on April 10, 1957 into a wealthy Hausa-Muslim family. His mother Mariya Sanusi Dantata was the granddaughter of legendary businessman Alhassan Dantata, and his father Mohammed Dangote was Dantata’s business associate.
Dangote had an early interest in business “I can remember when I was in primary school, I would go and buy cartons of sweets and I would start selling them just to make money. I was so interested in business, even at that time.” He attended the Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt (the oldest university in the world) studying business studies, before working for his uncle Sanusi Abdulkadir Dantata who eventually gave him a business loan at the age of 21.
Dangote Group
Dangote started trading commodities and building materials in Kano in 1977. He moved to Lagos that summer and, encouraged by the success of his business ventures so far, incorporated two companies in 1981
The Dangote Group, originally a small trading firm founded in 1977, is now a multi-trillion-naira conglomerate with operations in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroun, Zambia, South Africa and Togo. Dangote’s businesses include food processing, cement manufacturing, and freight. The Dangote Group dominates the sugar market in Nigeria: it is the major sugar supplier to the country’s soft drink companies, breweries, and confectioners. Dangote Group has moved from being a trading company to Nigeria’s largest industrial group, including Dangote Sugar Refinery (the most capitalized company on the Nigeria Stock Exchange, valued at over US$3 billion with Aliko Dangote’s equity topping US$2 billion), Africa’s largest Cement Production Plant: Obajana Cement, Dangote Flour amongst others.
Aliko Dangote has a knack for seeing opportunity that others can't see. He approached the Nigerian Ports Authority with the idea of leasing an abandoned piece of land at the Apapa Port, where he subsequently built facilities for his flour company. When other flour companies protested, the chairman of the NPA, Chief Olabode George stated that Dangote was the one who came up with the idea. Similarly, in the 1990s he approached the Central Bank of Nigeria with the idea that it would be cheaper for the bank to allow his transport company to manage their fleet of staff buses.
Today Dangote Group dominates the sugar market in Nigeria and Dangote Sugar Refinery is the main supplier (70% of the market) to the country’s soft drinks companies, breweries and confectioners. It is the largest refinery in Africa and the third largest in the world producing 800,000 tonnes of sugar annually. Dangote Group also owns salt factories and flour mills and is a major importer of rice, fish, pasta, cement and fertilizer. The company also exports cotton, cashew nuts, cocoa, sesame seed and ginger to several countries. Dangote Group also has major investments in real estate, banking, transport, textiles and oil and gas. It employs over 18,000 people and is the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa.
Dangote is branching into telecommunications and has started building 14,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables to supply the whole of Nigeria. He was honoured in January 2009 as the leading provider of employment in the Nigerian construction industry.
“[Nigerians] can be even bigger than me, ” he said “you just have to believe that yes, there is a future in this country of ours and I can tell you right now, I don’t believe we have even started doing anything in Nigeria because the opportunities are so enormous. I don’t even know where to start.
“Let me tell you this and I want to really emphasize it…nothing is going to help Nigeria like Nigerians bringing back their money. If you give me $5 billion today, I will invest everything here in Nigeria. Let us put our heads together and work.”
Political contributions and associates
Dangote played a prominent role in the funding of Obasanjo’s re-election campaign in 2003, to which he contributed over N200 million (US$2M). He gave N50 million (US$0.5M) to the National Mosque under the aegis of “Friends of Obasanjo and Atiku”, and contributed N200 million to the Presidential Library. These controversial gifts to members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party have contributed to concerns over continued graft despite highly publicized anti-corruption drive during Obasanjo’s second term. Alhaji Dangote was also one of the major players in getting President Umaru Yar’Adua elected.
Nigerians are generally proud of Dangote’s achievements, but many insist that his business acquisitions were unfairly gained due to his links with Nigeria’s ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo and that his virtual monopoly over much of Nigeria’s commodities is stifling competition. “I am close to people in government because I am one of the big businessmen in Nigeria,” he said. “If we don’t have the right people there then all the money I have is useless”.
The recent increase in cement prices, an industry dominated by Dangote Group, forced the government to allow cement imports in the hope that the competition would lower prices, much to the annoyance of Dangote. Dangote’s unanimous election as president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange further led to accusations of unfair business practice as two of his businesses are listed on the exchange.
Wealth
Worth $3.3 billion in 2008, Dangote was the richest black African to appear on Forbes’ Billionaire list and beat Oprah Winfrey to become the world’s richest black person. Alhaji Aliko Dangote has been a major player in Nigerian commerce since the 1970s and his business empire controls the import and export of a variety of products in West Africa. This led to speculation that he was the wealthiest African in the world, but he said, “I think I have to be rated by Forbes magazine first before I can be [called] the richest man in Africa.”
Dangote got his wish in 2008 when he debuted as the first Nigerian on the annual Forbes’ Billionaires list with a $3.3 billion fortune, and became the richest black person on the planet taking the title from media mogul Oprah Winfrey ($2.5 billion). He was ranked No. 334 in the world (No. 1 was America’s Warren Buffet with $62 billion), and although Egypt (The Sawiris family: $32 billion) and South Africa (The Oppenheimer family: $5.7 billion) had richer men, Aliko is the first African billionaire of fully Black African ancestry to be listed.
Sub-Saharan Africans were usually absent from Forbes magazine’s annual compilation of the world’s 1,000+ billionaires. Past African presidents like Congo’s Mobutu and Nigeria’s Sani Abacha probably became billionaires after pocketing their country’s wealth, but Forbes did not confirm or legitimise their money.
Dangote was the first verifiable Black African billionaire, with Patrice Motsepe of South Africa also on the list with $2.4 billion from his mining company. Forbes reportedly wanted to feature Dangote on the cover of the 2008 magazine but he politely declined.
He said he was grateful to God for the achievement: “The signs are very good for Nigeria. Next year, I expect at least five Nigerians to be on the list.”
But that was not to be as the 2009 list showed the effects of the global recession with many billionaires making huge loses or dropping off the list altogether. Aliko’s wealth fell to $2.5 billion owing to a 70% fall in share prices, but he moved up the world ranking to No. 261. The 2009 list also featured another Nigerian, oil magnate Femi Otedola with $1.2 billion.
Dangote controls much of Nigeria’s commodities trade through his corporate and political connections. With an estimated net worth of around US$ 2.5 billion (2009), he was ranked by Forbes as one of the richest black African citizens and the third richest person of African descent in the world behind Mohammed Al Amoudi ($9.0 billion) and Oprah Winfrey ($2.7 billion.).
In 2011, Dangote was ranked as the richest person of African descent, with an estimated worth of $13.8 billion, relegating Mohammed al Amoudi (12.3 billion) and Oprah Winfrey (2.7 billion) to second and third places respectively.
In the 2012 Forbes list, Dangote is ranked number 76 with a net worth of $11.2b.
Billionaire businesswoman, Dr Mariya Dangote, is the daughter of Sanusi Dantata and granddaughter of legendary businessman Alhassan Dantata. She is married to Mohammed Dangote (a business associate of Alhassan Dantata) for whom she had Aliko Dangote, a multi-billionaire businessman. Her brother is Abdulkadir Sanusi Dantata, one of the founders of Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company and Asada Farms.
She sits on the boards of numerous companies, including MRS Oil and Gas, Mentholatum Nigeria Limited and the Dangote group. She is also known for her philanthropy, donating a hospital, which she built at Rijiya Lemu, to the Kano State Government in 2003.
September 1 1945- February 7 2012 (Aliko Dangote's uncle). He gave Aliko Dangote a business loan with which Dangote started the Dangote Group
The late Alhaji Dantata was born in Sarari Dantata Quarters in the ancient city of Kano to the famous Dantata family on September 1, 1945. He was the eldest son of Sanusi Dantata, son of business mogul and patriarch, Alhassan Dantata, but by dint of hard work, he built a stupendous fortune for himself.
Not even the family's renowned business and trade patrimony, which had already guaranteed him a financially secure future, could stop the late Dantata from knowledge acquisition. This took him first to Sudan and then Kumasi, Ghana, where he obtained a certificate in advanced Islamic studies in 1956. Four years later, he returned to Nigeria to complete primary education at Kuka Primary School, Fagge in Kano. Unlike some of his peers, a thirst for knowledge nudged him on to acquire the Grade Two Teachers’ Certificate in 1968 before he joined the family business of cotton, groundnut and other agricultural products. In fact, the family business line was the largest licensed produce-buying agent of groundnut in Nigeria in the 1960s.
BUSINESS
Alhaji Dantata would not be content with that; he needed to express himself as he established his Dantata Land and Sea, a company that was into transportation, civil engineering and farming. The business initiatives further crystallised into one of the biggest construction firms - Dantata and Sawoe (founded in 1975) - which he partnered with German interests. As chairman of various business interests including the Asada Group, Brunelli Construction Co. Ltd, WJ Syndicate, Goguwasia Trading Company, Beijing-China, the sky was his limit. His business empire traversed construction, shipping, farming, trading and manufacturing.
Long before he died on February 7, 2012, he had deservedly earned for himself the national award of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) for his industry and contributions to the development of the country.
A stream of eminent personalities and well wishers at his burial could have indicated his disposition to people and life generally. Dantata’s health challenges may have cut short his other taller ambitions, but he would remain a beacon of hope and inspiration to budding businessmen.
Sanusi Dantata (born c. 1919, date of death unknown) was a Nigerian entrepreneur and son of Alhassan Dantata.
In the 1960s, he was the largest licensed produce buying agent of groundnut in Nigeria. However by 1980, he had relinquished some of his business interest to his sons, including the eldest, Abdulkadir Sanusi Dantata, who co-founded Dantata and Sawoe and Asada Farms.
Business network
The Dantata family operated their businesses partly through a patrimonial system of credit allocation, trade and business transfers to kin, household and other members of their clientage. At one point in time, both Sanusi and his brother, Aminu controlled about 200 agents involved in buying Kola nut, Livestock, Ground nut and Merchandise. The system involved about five autonomous level of associates, agents, and farmers. Some members of these system engage in buying goods from restricted rural areas and transporting it to the city where another group of agents in the Urban area buys the goods and store them in stead for Dantata. Also the Dantata family through marriage and credit extension is linked with a few independent trading families in Kano and Northern Nigeria.
Sanusi Dantata was a personal friend of the Qadiriyya scholar, Ali Kumasi and supported some of the latter's religious works in Kano. His support for Ali Kumasi led him into conflict with Nasiru Kabara, the leader of the Qadiriyya movement in Kano and West Africa and a former tutor of Sanusi. Both Kumasi and Dantata tried to promote an independent Qadiriyya scholarship and religious authority, challenging the leadership of Kabaya. However, by the early 1970s, both men joined the Kabara faction of Kano Qadiriyya.
Dr Aminu Alhassan Dantata (CON) is a wealthy Nigerian businessman and philanthropist from Kano.
Dr Aminu Dantata was born in Kano to legendary businessman Alhassan Dantata and Amina Umma Zaria. He began his career in 1949 as a produce buyer in the family business of Alhassan Dantata and Sons Limited. After the death of his brother, Ahmadu Dantata, he became the principal heir to the Dantata family business. He became the Chairman and Managing Director of the company in 1960, a position he holds till date.
However, in the late 1960s, he worked with the newly created Kano State as a commissioner. He left in 1972 to partake in the nation’s industrial drive and was known to have bought shares in major companies including Mentholatum, Raleigh Industries, SCOA, Nigerian Pipes, Northern Nigeria Flour Mills and later, Kano State Oil Mills. During the period, the Dantata business expanded in the North, supplying fertilizer, jute bags, rice and cement to various state governments. It also expanded its importing ventures by bringing in building materials and automobiles, in the case of the latter; it was a distributor of Mercedes Benz cars in the country.
The business also invested in large scale farming, with holdings in Asada Farms. Dr. Dantata was a member of the Steering Committee of the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank Limited, and served as a director of the bank between 1962 and 1966. He has led several trade missions to several countries across the world.
He was noted, together with Chief M.K.O Abiola, as being one of the wealthier Nigerians in the 1970s, 1980s & 1990s.
He is currently the Chancellor of Katsina Islamic University and the patron of the Kano State Foundation. The foundation engages in the provision of social services and credit to Kano State indigenes. He is also affiliated with Nigeria’s proposed Islamic Bank, Jaiz and earlier in his life with some Tijaniyya scholars, including Mohammed Kafanga. He was a former member of the Kano Provincial Loans Board.
Dr. Dantata has also held several public offices, including Chairman, Board of Trustees, Islamic Forum of Nigeria, Aminu Kano Memorial College, Kano. He is the proprietor, Dantata Memorial School, Kano; Life patron, Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Kano, National Council of Farmers and the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industries among several others.
When Alhassan finally settled in Kano, he maintained agents, mainly his relations, in other places. For instance Alhaji Bala, his brother, was sent to Lagos. Alhassan employed people, mainly Igbos and Yoruba's and the indigenous Hausas, as wage earners. They worked as clerks, drivers, and labourers. Some of his employees, especially the Hausas, stayed in his house. He was responsible for their marriage expenses. They did not pay rent and in fact, were regarded as members of his extended family. He sometimes provided official houses to some of his workers.
People’s opinion of Alhassan Dantata differed. To some people, he was a mutumin kirki (complete gentleman) who was highly disciplined and made money through hard work and honesty. He always served as an enemy to, or a breaker of hoarding. For instance, he would purchase items, especially grains, during the harvest time, when it was abundant at low prices. He would wait until the rainy season, (July or august) when there was limited supply in the markets or when grain merchants started to inflate prices. He then moved to fill the markets with his surplus grains and asked a price lower than the current price in the markets by between 50 – 70%. In this way, he forced down prices. His anti- hoarding activities did not stop at grains and other consumer goods, but even to such items as faifai, igiya, babarma (Mat), dyed cloth, shuni, potash, and so on. However on the other hand, according to information collected in Koki, Dala, Qul-qul, Madabo, Yan Maruci e.t.c Alhassan was viewed as a mugun mutum (wicked person). This was because some people expressed the view that Dantata undercut their prices simply to cripple his fellow merchants.
He founded, with other merchants (attajirai), the Kano Citizens’ Trading Company, for industrial undertakings. In 1949, he contributed property valued at ₤10,200 (ten thousand, two hundred pounds) to the proposed Kano citizens trading company for the establishment of the first indigenous textile mill in Northern Nigeria. Near the end of his life he was appointed a director of the Railway Corporation.
Real estate
He started to acquire urban land as early as 1917 in the non- European trading site (Syrian quarters) when he acquired two plots at an annual fee of ₤20. All his houses were occupied by his own people; relations, sons, servants, workers and so on. He never built a hotel for whatever purpose in his life and advised his children to do like wise. His numerous large warehouses in and around Kano metropolis were not for rent, rather he kept his own wares in them.
Business with women
Because of his Islamic beliefs, Alhassan never transacted business with a woman of whatever age. His wife, Hajiya Umma Zaria, (mother of Aminu) was his chief agent among the women folk. The women did not have to visit her house. She established agents all over Kano city and visited them in turn. When she visited her agents, it was the duty of the agents to ask what the women in the ward wanted. Amina Umma Zaria would then leave the items for them. All her agents were old married women and she warned her agents to desist from conducting business with newly wedded girls. Umma Zaria dealt in the smallest household items, which would cost 2.5 d to sophisticated jewels worth thousands of pounds.
The manners of Alhassan Dantata
Though Alhassan became the wealthiest man in the British West African colonies, he lived a simple life. He fed on the same foodstuffs as any other individual, such as tuwon dawa da furar gero. He dressed simply in a white gown, a pair of white trousers (da itori), and underwear (yar ciki), a pair of ordinary local sandals, and sewn white cap, white turban and occasionally a malfa (local hat). He was said never to own more than three sets of personal clothing at a time. He never stayed inside his house all day and was always out doing something. He moved about among his workers joking with them, encouraging and occasionally giving a helping hand. He ate his meal outside and always with his senior workers like Garba Maisikeli and Alhaji Mustapha Adakawa. Alhassan met fully established wealthy Kano merchants when he moved to Kano from the Kauye, like Maikano Agogo, Umaru Sharubutu, Salga and so on. He lived with them peacefully and always respected them. Occasionally he visited the senior of them all Umaru Sharubutu to greet him. The eldest son of Umaru Sharubutu became an important employee in his commercial enterprise. He avoided clashes with other influential people in Kano. He hated court litigation. He was in court only once, but before the final judgment the case was settled outside a Lagos court (it was a ₤10,000 civil suit instituted by one Haruna against him). He lived peacefully with the local authorities. Whenever he offended the authorities he would go quietly to solve the problems with the official concerned.
Health
Alhassan enjoyed good health and was never totally indisposed throughout his active life. However, occasionally he might develop malaria fever and whenever he was sick, he would go to the S.I.M clinic for treatment. Because of his simple eating habits, ordinary Hausa food two or three times a day and his always active mode of life, he never developed obesity. He remained slim and strong throughout his life. Alhassan had no physical defects and enjoyed good eye sight.
Religion
Alhassan was a devout Muslim. He was one of the first northerners to visit Mecca via England by mail boat in the early 1920’s. He loved reading the Qur’an and Hadith. He had a personal mosque in his house and established a qur’anic school for his children. He maintained a full time Islamic scholar called Alhaji Abubakar (father of Malam Lawan Kalarawi, a renowned Kano public preacher).
He paid zakkat annually according to Islamic injunction and gave alms to the poor every Friday. He belonged to the Qadiriyya brotherhood.
Pilgrimage and presentation to the King
Soon after the First World War he went on the pilgrimage to Mecca, via Britain, where he was presented to King George V.
Education
Alhassan Dantata respected people with qur’anic and other branches of Islamic learning, and helped them occasionally. He established a qur’anic school for his children and other people of the neighbourhood. He insisted that all his children must be well educated in the Islamic way. He appreciated also, functional western education, just enough to transact business (some arithmetic, simple accounting, Hausa reading and writing and spoken English).
Alhassan backed the establishment of a western style school in the Dala area for Hausas (i.e. non-Fulani) traders’ children in the 1930’s. The existence of a school in Bebeji (the only non-district headquarters in Kano to have one in the 1930’s) was probably due to his influence, although he could neither read nor write English. Alhassan could write beautiful Ajami, but could not speak or write Arabic, although he could read the Qur’an and other religious books with ease (this is very common in Hausa society). Most of the qur’anic reciter's could read very well, but could not understand Arabic. Alhassan Dantata knew some arithmetic-addition and subtraction and could use a ready reckoner. He also encouraged his children to learn enough western education to transact business, the need of his time. He established his own Arabic and English school in 1944, Dantata Arabic and English school.
Politics
He never became a politician in the true sense of the term. However, because of his enormous wealth, he was always very close to the government. He had to be in both the colonial government’s good books and maintain a position very close to the emirs of Kano. He was nominated to represent commoners in the reformed local administration of Kano and in 1950 was made a councillor in the emir’s council- the first non- royal individual to have a seat at the council. Other members of the council then were: Madakin Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa, Walin Kano, Malam Abubakar Tsangaya, Sarkin Shanu, Alhaji Muhammadu Sani, Wazirin Kano Alhaji Abubakar, Makaman Kano Alhaji Bello Alhaji Usman Gwarzo, and the leader Alhaji Abdulllahi Bayero. Alhassan therefore was a member of the highest governing body of Kano in his time. He was also appointed to mediate between NEPU and NPC in Kano in 1954 together with Mallam Nasiru Kabara and other members. He joined no political party, but it is clear that he sympathised with the NPC.
Death
In 1955, Alhassan fell ill and because of the seriousness of the illness, he summoned his chief financial controller, Garba Maisikeli and his children. He told them that his days were approaching their end and advised them to live together. He was particularly concerned about the company he had established (Alhassan Dantata & Son’s). He asked them not to allow the company to collapse. He implored them to continue to marry within the family as much as possible. He urged them to avoid clashes with other wealthy Kano merchants. They should take care of their relatives, especially the poor among them. Three days later he passed away in his sleep on Wednesday 17th august, 1955. He was buried the same day in his house in Sarari ward, Kano. When he died in August 1955, he was the wealthiest man of any race in West Africa.
Heirs
It was and is rare for business organizations to survive the death of their founders in Hausa society. Hausa tradition is full of stories of former successful business families who later lost everything. In Kano city alone names like: Kundila of Makwarari, the wealthiest man at the end of nineteenth century, Maikano Agogo of Koki Ward, Umaru Sharubutu also of Koki Ward, Baban Jaji, Abdu Sarki of Zaitawa Ward, Madugu Indo of Adakawa, and others too numerous to mention here, were some of them. The question is, why this sorry state of affairs?
M.G Smith suggested that three reasons were responsible as follows: the amount of money spent by the wealthy Hausa man on religious and social obligations was so great that only large fortunes could survive. Secondly, he was, after the introduction of the colonial economy, dependent for credit facilities on good relations with expatriate firms and stable groups of reliable agents and thirdly, under Islamic law, his estate was subdivided on inheritance.
He further suggested that only Alhassan of Kano was likely to leave able heirs to continue his business in a grand way. This observation was made in 1949 before Alhassan’s death. The reasons for this, Smith argued, was that his heirs were interested in keeping the family name going and the employment of modern methods of book keeping, the only local merchant to do so at that time. Another observer, Tahir (1919-75) has the opinion that business ventures in Hausa society often collapsed upon the death or retirement of the founder because the heirs were not trained before the death or retirement of the founder. Alhassan Dantata’s entire estate was subdivided according to Islamic law among the eighteen children who survived him. Alhassan’s descendants include Dr Aminu Dantata (son), Sanusi Dantata (son), Abdulkadir Sanusi Dantata (grandson), Dr Mariya Sanusi Dangote (granddaughter), Alhaji Aliko Dangote (great-grandson), Alhaji Tajudeen Aminu Dantata (great-grandson) and Alhaji Sayyu Dantata (great-great grandson).
(1877-Aug 17th 1955). The wealthiest man in West Africa.
Alhaji Alhassan Dantata was a Nigerian businessman who was the wealthiest man in West Africa at the time of his death.
Ancestors and Heritage
Dantata's father was Abdullahi, a man from the village of Danshayi, near Kano. Dantata was born in Bebeji in 1877, one of several children of Abdullahi and his wife, both of whom were traders and caravan leaders.
Bebeji was on the Kano to Gonja (now in northern Ghana) and Kano to Lagos routes. The people of Bebeji, at least those from the Zango (campsite) were great traders. Bebeji was considered a miniature Kano. There was a saying which went “If Kano has 10 kolas, Bebeji has 20 halves" or in Hausa: "Birni tana da goro goma, ke Bebeji kina da bari 20". The town attracted many people of different backgrounds in the 19th century, such as the Yorubas, Nupes, Agalawas, etc. It was controlled by the Sarki (chief) of Bebeji who was responsible for the protection of Kano from attack from the southwest.
Alhassan was born into an Agalawa trading family. His father was a wealthy trader and caravan leader; Madugu Abdullahi while his mother was also a trader of importance in her own right enjoying the title of Maduga - Amarya. Abdullahi, in his turn, was a son of another prosperous merchant, Baba Talatin. It was he who brought the family from Katsina, probably at the beginning of the nineteenth century, following the death of his father, Ali.
Abdullahi already had a reputation of some wealth from his ventures with his father and therefore inherited his father’s position as a recognized and respected madugu. Like his father, he preferred the Nupe and Gonja routes. He specialized in the exchange of Kano dyed cloth, cattle, slaves and so on for the kola of the Akan forest. Surprisingly, he had added cowries brought to the coast by European traders to the items he carried back to Kano.
Abdullahi continued to operate from Madobi until 1877, one of our few fixed dates when having just set out for a journey to Gonja, his wife delivered in the Zango (campsite) of Bebeji. The child was a boy and after the usual seven days, he was named Alhassan. Abdullahi purchased a house in the town and left his nursing wife and child to await his return from Gonja. On his return, he decided to abandon Madobi and moved to Bebeji. Some say that the house that contains his tomb is still held by the family. The date of his death is unknown, but it was probably about 1885 when Alhassan was between seven and eight years of age. By then he had brothers and sisters – Shuaibu, Malam Jaji, Malam Bala, Malam Sidi and others.
Early life
The children were too young to succeed to their father’s position and to manage his considerable wealth. They all received their portion according to Islamic law. Maduga Amarya, like her mother in law, was a trader of wealth in her own right. Indeed she was known to be such a forceful character that nobody in the Zango would take her to wife. She therefore decided to leave the children in Bebeji, in the care of an old slave woman, while she moved to Accra where she became one of the wealthier Hausa traders.
The slave was known as "Tata" from which circumstance young Alhassan became known as Alhassan Dantata because of her role as his ‘mother’ (" Dantata" means "son of Tata”).
Alhassan was sent to a Qur'anic school (madrasah) in Bebeji and as his share of his father’s wealth (as so often happens), seemed to have vanished, he had to support himself. The life of the almajiri (Qur’anic student) is difficult, as he has to find food and clothing for himself and also for his malam (teacher) and at the same time read. Some simply beg while others seek paid work. Alhassan worked and even succeeded at the insistence of Tata in saving. His asusu, “money box” (a pottery vessel) purchased by Tata and set in the wall of the house can still be seen.
When he was about 15 years of age, Alhassan joined a Gonja bound caravan to see his mother. He purchased some items from Bebeji, sold half of them on the way and the rest in Accra. When he saw his mother, he was very delighted hoping she would allow him to live without doing any work since she was one of the wealthier local traders. After only a rest of one day, she took him to another malam and asked him to stay there until he was ready to return to Kano and he worked harder in Accra than he did in Bebeji. After the usual reading of the Qur’an, Alhassan Dantata had to go and beg for food for his malam, and himself. When he worked for money on Thursdays and Fridays, Alhassan Dantata would not be allowed to spend the money for himself alone, his malam always took the lion’s share (this is normal in Hausa society). After the visit, his mother sent him back to Bebeji where he continued his studies. Even though now a teenager, Tata continued to insist that he must save something everyday.
Upheavals and slavery
When he was still a teenager, great upheavals occurred in the Kano Emirate. This included the Kano Civil War (1893-1894) and the British invasion of the emirate. During the Kano Civil war, Alhassan and his brothers were captured and sold as slaves, but they were able to buy back their freedom and return to Bebeji shortly afterwards.
Business career
Alhassan remained in Bebeji until matters had settled down and the roads were secure, only then did he set out for Accra, by way of Ibadan and Lagos (Ikko) and then by sea to Accra and then to Kumasi, Sekondi and back to Lagos. Alhassan was one of the pioneers of this route. For several years, he carried his kola by sea, using steamers; to Lagos where he usually sold it to Kano bound merchants. By this time, he was relatively wealthy. In 1906, he began broadening his interests by trading in beads, necklaces, European cloth, etc. His mother, who had never remarried, died in Accra around 1908 and he thereafter generally restricted his operations to Lagos and Kano, although he continued to visit Accra.
Thus far in his career, with most of his fellow long distance traders, he continued to live in one of the towns some distance from Kano City, only visiting the Birni for business purposes. Before Alhassan settled in Kano permanently, he visited Kano City only occasionally to either purchase or sell his wares. He did not own a house there, but was satisfied with the accommodation given to him by his patoma (land lord.). It was during the time of the first British appointed Emir of Kano; Abbas (1903-1919) that Alhassan decided to establish a home in Kano. He purchased his first house in the Sarari area (an extension of Koki). At that time there were no houses from the house of Baban Jaki (at the end of Koki) up to Kofar Mazugal. In fact the area was called Sarari because it was empty and nobody wanted that land. Alhassan built his first house on that land and was able thereafter to extend it freely.
In 1912, when the Europeans started to show an interest in the export of groundnut, they contacted the already established Kano merchants through the Emir, Abbas and their chief agent, Adamu Jakada. Some established merchants of Kano like Umaru Sharubutu, Maikano Agogo and others were approached and accepted the offer.
Later in 1918, Alhassan was approached by the Niger Company to help purchase groundnuts for them. He was already familiar with the manner by which people made fortunes by buying cocoa for Europeans in the Gold Coast. He responded and participated in the enterprise with enthusiasm, he had several advantages over other Kano business men: he could speak some English because of his contact with the people on the coast, thus he could negotiate more directly with the European traders for better prices. He also had accumulated a large capital and unlike other established Kano merchants, had only a small family to maintain, as he was still a relatively young man. Alhassan had excellent financial management, was frugal and unostentatious. He knew some accounting and with the help of Alhaji Garba Maisikeli, his financial controller for 38 years, every kobo was accounted for every day. Not only that, Alhassan was hard working and always around to provide personal supervision of his workers. As soon as he entered the groundnut purchasing business, he came to dominate the field. In fact by 1922 he became the wealthiest businessman in Kano. Umaru Sharubutu and Maikano Agogo were relegated to the second and the third positions respectively. When the British Bank of West Africa was opened in Kano in 1929, he became the first Kano businessman to utilize a bank account when he deposited twenty camel loads of silver coins. Shortly before his death, he pointed to sixty “groundnut pyramids” in Kano and said, “These are all mine”.
Alhassan became the chief produce buyer especially of groundnuts for the Niger Company (later U.A.C). It is said that he used to purchase about half of all the nuts purchased by U.A.C in northern Nigeria. Because of this, he applied for a license to purchase and export groundnuts in 1940 just like the U.A.C. However, because of the great depression and the war situation, it was not granted. Even Saul Raccah lost his license to export and import about this time because he did not belong to the Association of West African Merchants. In 1953-4 he became a licensed buying agent (L.B.A) that is, a buyer who sells direct to the marketing board instead of to another firm. However, Alhassan had many business connections both in Nigeria and in other West African countries, particularly the Gold Coast. He dealt, not only in groundnuts, but also in other merchandise. He traded in cattle, kola, cloth, beads, precious stones, grains, rope and other things. His role in the purchase of kola nuts from forest areas of Nigeria for sale in the North was so great, that eventually whole “kola trains” from the Western Region were filled with his nuts alone.
GodMode: I've just researched the guy... Jeeezz, how can someone be rich from groundnut
I don't believe that story... He was friends with some british peeps that's how he got money...
Even cocoa had more value than groundnut then.. And the north is a desert region it doesn't many trees like the south... Cos I think wood and ivory would have been hot cake then...
Don't forget the british handed power over to the north... So I guess the north and that dan:tata guy had slave mentality and were very loyal to the british ..
O! So you only just researched the guy now? But earlier on you had stated that he owned oil blocks. Why should anyone believe that you know what you are talking about this time?
GodMode: Those ones did not work for their money... Its oil block that's keeping them afloat..
Which oil block did Al-Hassan Dantata own? (Note that Al-Hassan Dantata died in 1955 and oil was only discovered in commercial quantities in Nigeria in 1956 (in Oloibiri).
mikron: the camel is not visible in the pictures u posted, only saw soldiers marching
Bjergtrolde: Can someone please point out the camel for me.
adjoviomole: Op Am I d one confusing myself abi na u dey confuse me? . Is it camel as in animal(beast of burden) or na human being dey bear camel? (Rakunmi) . Me I know see any camel for the pix u uploaded na.
Check the third picture. A white camel is being led by 3 soldiers just in front of the Nigerian and army flags. Use a phone with a big screen.
Some formations take advantage of geographical features in their area of responsibility to stage a more interesting physical examination.
The Brigade of Guards usually climb the Aso Rock monolith.
[size=14pt]Over 600 Military Officers Climb Aso Rock for Fitness Test[/size]
20 Dec 2013
By Senator Iroegbu
Over 600 officers and soldiers of the Guards Brigade, which is a special arm of the Nigerian Army in charge of the Presidency Friday participated in this year's Ascent to Aso Rock to determine their fitness and readiness to continue with the task next year.
The Commander, Guards Brigade, Major-General Emmanuel Atewe, while declaring the event open Friday morning at the feet of the Aso Rock, Asokoro Abuja, warning that failure to climb the rocky hill is an invitation to dismissal from the Guards.
Atewe said that Aso Rock climbing summarises all the training for the whole year and every member of the guards, including the officers and soldiers are expected to climb the 34,000 feet hill top. Details to follow
Rakumi was promoted to the rank of corporal in 2011.
COOLDK: An unusual occurrence was witnessed at the Nigerian Army Cantonment in Victoria Island in Lagos recently. It was the day military officers, both young and old, gathered to promote a camel from the Sultanate’s animal husbandry. By the time the soldiers departed, the lucky camel was wearing his new rank with pride. It was the day Camel Rakumi became a corporal in the Nigerian Army.
Brigadier General Sanusi Nasir Muazu, Commander of the 9 Brigade, , led other one star Generals and Colonels to decorate the camel with the military rank of corporal. General Muazu commended the 65 Battalion of the force for keeping to the universal military tradition of maintaining a mascot.
The decoration had initially cast many questions in the hearts of barrack residents and watchers of events in military circles. Many people had sought the motive behind the adornment of a camel with the rank of corporal.
Some military officers who spoke with Daily Sun likened the induction of Camel Rakumi to that of many military mascots scattered in all the armed forces around the world. Military mascots, the soldiers noted, refer to pet animals maintained by a military unit for ceremonial purposes or as an emblem of that unit. It may also be referred to as a ceremonial pet or regimental mascot.
The camel, Daily Sun learnt, had arrived Lagos from Sokoto State and had just reported to the Commanding Officer of 65 Battalion after a three-month training at the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Identified as Camel Rakumi, the Army authorities said that the camel had reported that early at the parade ground because it was its day of induction into the Nigerian Army, as a mascot for the 65 Battalion. The battalion is an infantry battalion attached to the 81 Division in Lagos. Its insignia is a camel and since that was established it had always had a live camel as its mascot.
Shortly after Camel Rakumi took its position at the far end of the parade ground, the battalion moved towards adorning it with its uniform so as to really belong to the force. A pink and red cloth, which was the colour of the battalion, was thrown around the camel while same colours were tied around its legs.
A soldier was assigned to the camel to give it direction, while over 100 soldiers filed out to join in the parade heralding the decoration of the camel with the rank of a corporal. The induction, Daily Sun learnt makes the camel a full-fledged member of the Nigerian Army entitled to everything a soldier is entitled to. Before November 9, 2010 when Camel Rakumi was posted to the 65 Battalion, it underwent military training at the Nigerian Army depot in Zaria and was given a thorough orientation about the battalion he was to serve in. It was learnt that the camel has a history with the Nigerian Army, as it was born on January 15, 2006, a date set aside for the Armed Forces Remembrance Day. It was born in Sokoto into the family of the Sokoto Caliphate animal husbandry and attended the Sultanate Durbar Racing School between 2007 and 2008 The army said that before recruiting Camel Rakumi into the force, it discovered that the animal had distinguished itself as a very strong, energetic and fastest in its class. The force told Daily Sun that the Caliphate Chief Rider confirmed this as it was discovered that the chief rider introduced the Camel to Durbar Racing and since then, the camel had continued to distinguished itself in most of the racing contests organized by the Caliphate. He won the fastest runner award during the Durbar hosted by the Sultan of Sokoto in honour of President Umar Bashir of Sudan. He also won award as best behaved and adored camel during the 2009 Eid el Kabir Durbar in Sokoto. It was these qualities that distinguished the camel and enabled the Nigerian Army to bring him into their fold and decorate him with the rank of a corporal. Regiments of the British Army have long been prone to adopting animals as their mascots. Dogs, goats and ponies are just a few that have served as mascots in the British Army, but the earliest recorded event was that of a goat belonging to the Royal Welch. It ended up leading the Welsh regimental Colour off the battlefield at the end of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Since then, it was gathered, a goat has always served with the Battalion. In 1884, Queen Victoria presented the regiment, then called the Royal Welch Fusiliers, with a Kashmir goat from her royal herd, and a tradition was started. The British Monarchy has presented an unbroken series of Kashmir goats to the Royal Welch Fusiliers from the Crown ’s own royal herd. In Nigeria, the tradition of military mascot was copied from the British Army, with a little modification. The Nigerian Army adopts mascots based on the battle efficiency of the troop. For instance, the elite Brigade of Guards adopted the Scorpion which it has on its badge to illustrate its potency, while the 3rd Armoured Division Jos, Plateau State assumed the Octopus as its Mascot to give a fearful posture to the Division. The 1st Divison Kaduna picked a white horse as its mascot to illustrate its strength while the 82 Division in Enugu adopted a flying dragon to show its prowess. Every division, brigade or battalion in the Nigerian Army adopts a mascot that suits its operation and indeed defines its potency in the battlefield. The 81 Division Lagos did not adopt any animal as its mascot; rather, it adopted a palm tree to illustrate its area of operation, but being and infantry division, its battalion had adopted the camel as its mascot.
I have always (since the 1970s) enjoyed watching soldiers as they perform their regular route march (endurance walk) and physical examination. They are usually accompanied by ambulances (usually Pinzgauers) and men from the medical corp who attend to those that collapse because of exhaustion.
I have always enjoyed their singing and dancing, but the most interesting sight has always been the mascots. These are pictures of Corporal Rakumi (the Camel) as he led soldiers from Bonny Camp on their route march this morning.
[6:36AM]“@AyoAderufus:@Gidi_Traffic #NigerianArmybattalion with a #Camel mascot on Parade on #AhmaduBelloWay
It's the usual Nigerian Army road walk and physical exam that's held in all army formations across the country (I've been watching these yearly exercises since the 1970s). I saw Corporal Rakumi at Bonny Camp this morning.
[size=14pt]Kaduna State Logo Law Must Be Amended[/size] By Sunday Isuwa
Home » Opinion » Kaduna State Logo Law Must Be Amended, By Sunday Isuwa
Premium Times August 26, 2015 Opinion No Comment
The haphazard passage into law, of an executive bill sponsored by Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, for the creation of a Logo for Kaduna State, has created furor.
The logo in its features show inconsistency and repetition and cannot be adopted in civic education, as the Chairman, State House Committee on Judiciary, Irimiya Ishaku Kantiok acknowledges that the over 6.3 million people of Kaduna had no input into the creation of the New Logo, having failed to call for a public hearing on it.
For people who follow political activities, especially from the Lugard Hall where members of the legislative arm meet, the passage of a very important bill for the creation of a logo containing some features of the state without inputs from people of the state was a big legislative error.
The distinctive features of the logo and the process that led to the passage of the bill have left many wondering whether the first class student, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, who is now the governor of Kaduna State actually went through the bill and forwarded same to the members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
Its passage by the members of the state House of assembly without doing the needful also speaks volume of the quality of representatives the acclaimed centre of learning is producing.
There is no legal injunction restraining Kaduna State from having a logo. States are free to have their flags and other important symbols. So, it was not out of order that the Kaduna State governor initiated such an important bill. The question is that of whether indeed the majority had their say in it, as is the norm in a democracy.
Before Nigeria’s independence, the committee saddled with the responsibility of providing a flag, National Anthem and other important symbols of state for the country did not only call for public hearings, but competitions were organised and thrown open to all Nigerians. Various submissions were made. A serious selection process was also carried out which gave Nigeria something to be proud of.
In Kaduna, the process that led to the passage of the logo bill into law is still shocking. It has only succeeded in giving Kaduna a logo with inconsistent, incoherent and repetitive features, as earlier mentioned. For people who were privileged to go through the bill as passed, they have called for an urgent repeal of the law after the governor’s assent.
It was reliably gathered that after the governor forwarded the bill for a law to create a logo for Kaduna State, the normal procedure of reading it for the first time was followed. The bill was also read for the second time and referred to a joint committee. The committees and members initially drafted for the assignment included those from the Judiciary, Youth, Sport and Culture, Commerce, Industries and Tourism. Later, all the committees drafted for the assignment were withdrawn, leaving only that of Judiciary, headed by Irimiya Ishaku Kantiok and his deputy, since the House committees have not been constituted.
Even though many have queried the withdrawal of other committees in this very important assignment, the Judicial committee, made up of two people denied over 6.3 million people their inputs in an official insignia and symbol to be used by the entire government establishments, bureaus, public institutions and colleges, schools and all bodies established by the Kaduna State government.
Either by act of commission or omission, the committee’s refusal to organise a public hearing, referring the bill for reading for a third time and its subsequent passage with so much errors makes a lot of people in Kaduna State wonder about the motive behind this.
The first distinctive feature of the logo is the Motto: Work and Worship. A lot of people have no qualms with that, considering the religious and hardworking nature of the people of Kaduna State.
The second feature in the logo highlighted is Green Vegetation: Agriculture, Economy, Abundance and Conservation are mentioned. Kaduna is known for its rich agriculture and contribution towards boosting the nation’s economy. But the lawmakers and the bill drafter fail to explain to the people the ‘Abundance’ they are talking about.
The third feature of the logo is a Crocodile: According to the drafters, crocodile stands for Strength, Resilience, Indestructibility and Ancestry. The lawmakers and the bill’s sponsor fail to acknowledge that there is nothing in this world that is indestructible. Kaduna State has witnessed the destruction of several lives and property as a result of terrorist attacks, cattle rustlers, ethnic and religious crises. This is a history the people can’t runaway from or forget at all.
The fourth feature is a Cattle: The lawmakers and the sponsor of the bill say Fertility, Abundance and Nourishment are what this feature represents. If one looks at it very well, there is a repetition of Abundance; which is being challenged.
The fifth feature of the logo is Nok: They make mention of History, Culture, Arts and Tourism. Are the lawmakers and the sponsor of the bill referring to the famous symbol of the Nok Terra-cotta? Even though Nok terra cotta represents the above mentioned, the sculpture in the Logo does not suggest the original Nok terra-cotta traded circa 500 BC. In fact, since the size of the logo will be reduced to fit in on the size of official files, the sign of the terra-cotta which represents a large chunk of ethnic groups won’t be visible when compared with other unimportant features that have been given prominence.
The sixth feature of the logo is a Crop plant. In crop, Agriculture and Economy are also mentioned. These are features earlier mentioned in green vegetation, thereby making the logo inconsistent and repetitive in nature.
The seventh feature is a Water Body: the sponsor of the bill mentions Life, Purity and Recreation. There shouldn’t be any objection to that because that is exactly what water represents.
The eighth feature of the logo is a Book: which stands for Education and Knowledge (Centre of Learning). This also is okay for many people.
The ninth feature is the Northern Knot: the sponsor of the bill mentions History, Tradition and Culture. These are features mentioned earlier. If there were proper synergies and public hearings, it would have saved these unnecessary repetitions. The knot is a pirated feature and meaningless on the Kaduna State logo
The tenth feature is Kakaki: Culture and History are also mentioned as some of its features. Both culture and history have been featured earlier.
The eleventh feature the sponsor of the bill includes is a Banner: History and Way of Life is mentioned. Many are now asking whether the banner’s history is different from the several ones mentioned above? How many histories does Kaduna State have?
The twelfth feature included in the logo by the sponsor of the bill is: Two decorated black horses. Independence, Culture, History and Tradition are mentioned. Only Independence has not been mentioned earlier in the distinctive features of the logo. Both culture, History and tradition had already been captured. The two horses are pirated from the Nigeria coat of Arms.
The thirteenth feature included by the sponsor of the bill is the Shield, which stands for Safety and Protection. Looking at the logo, what is obtainable as shield is questionable. There is no handle in the acclaimed Shield even though it could be used for Safety and Protection.
Kaduna is now a state of its own and not the defunct capital city of Northern Nigeria. There is no feature that suggests the Gbagyi are the earlier inhabitants of the capital city. Couldn’t the distinctive features have captured a woman carrying load on her shoulder to represent the original owners of the land?
The inconsistent nature of the bill, it’s voluminous features and repetitive descriptions makes it difficult for such to be introduced into primary and secondary schools curriculum as part of civic education. Looking at the entire logo, can a student or his teacher comfortably draw it in a class? The logo needs to be simplified.
The process and procedures that brought about this logo were faulty. It will be incumbent on the good members of Kaduna State House of Assembly and other members of the society to ensure that this logo is taken back to the House of Assembly for amendment if the governor signs it into law. With this, many lawmakers and other members of the society will be given the opportunity to contribute their quota in producing a logo the people will truly call their own.
Sunday Isuwa, a journalist, writes from Kaduna and can be reached on isuwasunday@gmail.com
[size=14pt]Kaduna State’s new logo passed into law[/size]
By Amos Tauna on August 13, 2015
The Kaduna State House of Assembly has passed into law a bill to create a logo for the state.
This came after the third reading of the bill on the floor of House.
The law cited as The Kaduna State Logo law, 2015, provided an official logo for the state to be used in all official communications, correspondences and transactions.
According to the law, any official document or correspondence of government that does not bear the official logo shall be invalid.
The new law enjoined all persons in the employment of government to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the law.
The distinctive features of the logo include its motto: Work and Worship; green vegetation, which means Agriculture, Economy, Abundance and conservation. Crocodile stands for Strength, Resilience, Indestructibility and Ancestry; while cattle implies Fertility, Abundance and Nourishment.
Business › Re: Nigerian Companies Where Ceos Are Sons Of Founders Of The Companies by naptu2: 6:43am On Sep 06, 2015
Why should anyone believe that you know what you are talking about this time?
. Me I know see any camel for the pix u uploaded na.