Life And Times Of Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji

A former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Sardaunan Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, is dead. He was 94.

The elder statesman died on Thursday morning at an Abuja hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for several weeks after he was transferred from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto.

The Dikkon Sokoto, Alhaji Ya’u Dogon Daji, who is also a relative of the deceased, confirmed the development to our correspondent, saying the late diplomat had been ill for almost a month before his death.

“He was first admitted at UDUTH in Sokoto before he was transferred to Alliance Hospital in Abuja, where he eventually died,” he said.

Dogon Daji added that the former envoy appeared to be recovering and that he spoke with him two days before his death.

“He told me he was getting better and hoped to return to Sokoto very soon. That was my last conversation with him,” he added.

The Dikkon Sokoto also recalled that the late elder statesman had once told him he was 94 years old.

During one of Daily Trust reporter’s visits to his residence along Wurno Road in Sokoto, the deceased said he had withdrawn from active public engagements and devoted most of his time to reading the Holy Qur’an and worshipping Allah.

Until his death, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji held the revered traditional title of Sardaunan Sokoto, a title historically associated with the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, who died in 1966.

Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji was first appointed Sarkin Shanun Sokoto, a traditional title previously held by his father, by the late Sultan Abubakar III.

He was later elevated to the prestigious position of Sardaunan Sokoto by the late Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, in recognition of his contributions and service to the Sokoto Caliphate and the nation.

One of his younger brothers, Aliyu Aliyu Dogon Daji, described the late diplomat as the pillar of the family.

“He was the head of the family and carried almost all our responsibilities. When our father died, he took care of us and became our guardian,” he said.

He recalled that the late Alhaji Abubakar was exceptionally generous and always concerned about the happiness and well-being of others.

According to him, the former envoy maintained close ties with relatives and constantly encouraged family members to remain united.

He also shared a personal memory from his secondary school days, saying the late diplomat supported him immensely and once took him to Lagos by air.

Aliyu said his last encounter with the deceased was at the Intensive Care Unit of UDUTH, where he had been receiving treatment.

‘A life shaped by education, diplomacy and public service’

Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji was born into the family of Muhammad Sani, popularly known as Alhaji, a name reportedly given to him because his birth coincided with the Sallah celebration.

Accounts about the late elder statesman’s exact date of birth differ, with some records putting it at 1936 while others indicate 1937. However, a close relative, Alhaji Ya’u Dogon Daji, said the deceased personally told him that he was 94 years old before his passing.

The young Abubakar began his early education in Kano, where he attended secondary school before transferring to Katsina Government College.

His academic journey later took him abroad, where he studied at Bournemouth College of Commerce and subsequently the University of Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom, earning a degree in Political Economy.

Driven by a passion for knowledge and public service, Alhaji further broadened his expertise through specialised courses at the Hague Institute of Social Studies and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Institute in Washington, United States, preparing him for a distinguished career in government, diplomacy and national development.

His educational background became the foundation for decades of service, during which he earned recognition as a respected administrator, diplomat and elder statesman.

Public service career

Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji joined the Nigerian Civil Service in 1964 and rose through the ranks of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

He served in several strategic positions, including Principal Assistant Secretary, Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Trade, and later Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance.

During his tenure at the Finance Ministry, he played a key role in managing Nigeria’s relations with external creditors and was part of the country’s negotiating team for the Lomé II Convention.

In 1988, the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida appointed him Minister of State for Budget and Planning, and he subsequently served as Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1991.

In the early 1990s, he was appointed Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, where he represented the country’s diplomatic interests in London.

Beyond his national assignments, Alhaji also served as Special Adviser on Economic Affairs to the governments of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

Family and legacy

The late statesman was a nephew of the late Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki and also his son-in-law, having married the Sultan’s eldest daughter. He was also among the descendants of the Islamic reformer, Sheikh Usmanu Danfodiyo.

He is survived by his wife, five children, grandchildren and other relatives.

Among his children are Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, former Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, and Aminu Alhaji, a former special adviser to former governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

His death marks the end of a long and distinguished career in Nigeria’s civil service, economic management, diplomacy and traditional leadership, spanning more than five decades of public service.

Tinubu, Northern govs mourn ex-envoy

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the late former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Sardaunan Sokoto as “an elder statesman, a first-class technocrat and one of the prominent figures in Nigeria’s democratic and parliamentary history.”

The tribute was conveyed on Thursday during a condolence visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, shortly after the funeral prayer for the deceased at Sultan Bello Mosque, Sokoto.

The Federal Government delegation was led by Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima and included the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi.

The delegation was led to the Sultan’s Palace by the Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Engr. Idris Mohammed Gobir.

Addressing the Sultan, Shettima said the delegation was in Sokoto at the behest of President Tinubu to commiserate with the traditional institution, the Sokoto State Government and the people of the state.

Responding, the Sultan thanked President Tinubu for identifying with the people of Sokoto during the mourning period and prayed for Allah to grant the vice president and members of the delegation a safe return journey to Abuja.

The Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum also expressed profound grief over the death of Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji.

In a condolence message, the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, described him as “an accomplished public servant and respected elder statesman who made immense contributions to national development through decades of exemplary service.”

Yahaya recalled that the late Alhaji served with distinction as Minister of State for Budget and Planning and later as Minister of Finance during the Babangida administration, where he played significant roles in shaping Nigeria’s economic policies.

Buried at Hubbaren Shehu

Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji was laid to rest on Thursday at Hubbaren Shehu, the historic royal cemetery in Sokoto.

His remains arrived in Sokoto at about 4 p.m. and were interred around 5 p.m. after funeral prayers held at Sultan Bello Mosque.

The prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Sultan Bello Mosques, Liman Bello Akwara.

Leading the Federal Government delegation at the funeral was Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Other dignitaries in attendance included Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, Muhammad Babangida, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Deputy Governor Idris Gobir, Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki, and several other prominent personalities.

Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, in a post on his social media platforms, said he was “deeply saddened by the passing of Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji.

Atiku said, “Nigeria has lost an accomplished public servant, diplomat, and elder statesman whose decades of dedicated service left an enduring mark on our nation’s development.” (Daily trust)