•Late Alhaji Alhaji
Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and Sardaunan Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, has passed away.
Family sources confirmed the death of the elder statesman today in Abuja.
Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji served as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance between 1990 and 1991 during the administration of former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, reports Daily Independent.
He also served as Minister of State for Budget and Planning in 1988.
He was also a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
A thoroughbred administrator, he held several other key positions in the civil service and corporate sector during his illustrious career.
As Sardaunan Sokoto, he was one of the most revered traditional title holders in the Sokoto Caliphate and played major roles in community development, diplomacy, and national affairs.
Tributes have continued to pour in from across the country, with political leaders, traditional institutions, and associates describing him as a patriot, an excellent administrator, and a bridge builder.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family in line with Islamic rites.
The late Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji was a prominent civil servant, politician, and member of the royal family
He was a descendant of the Mujaddadi Shehu Usman Danfodiyo on his father’s side, Alhaji Muhammadu Alhaji. He was also related by blood to the former Sultan of Sokoto, Sir Abubakar III.
Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji was born to the family of Muhammadu Sani, popularly known as Alhaji Alhaji.
He got the name “Alhaji Alhaji” because he was born on Eid day, and he later performed the Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah.
He began his secondary education in Kano before proceeding to Katsina Government College to continue his studies.
After completing secondary school in Nigeria, he travelled to the United Kingdom where he studied at Bournemouth College of Commerce and the University of Reading in Berkshire.
There he obtained a degree in Political Economy. He also attended professional courses at the Hague Institute of Social Services and the IMF Institute in Washington.
In 1964, the late Abubakar Alhaji joined the Nigerian Civil Service. He started at the Federal Ministry of Finance and rose to become Assistant Secretary by the late 1960s.
After further training in The Hague, he was posted to the Ministry of Industries where he served as Senior Assistant Secretary. He later returned to the Ministry of Finance in 1971.
In 1975, he was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Commerce, a position he held until 1978.
In 1979, he returned to the Ministry of Finance as Permanent Secretary. In this role, he played a key part in managing Nigeria’s relations with creditor nations, and was part of the delegation that represented Nigeria in the negotiations for the Lomé II Agreement.
He was later transferred to the Federal Ministry of National Planning. In 1988, the Head of State at the time, General Ibrahim Babangida, appointed him Minister of State for Budget and Planning.
Between 1990 and 1991, he served as Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In the mid-1990s, the Nigerian Government appointed him High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, where he represented the country in diplomatic affairs.
In terms of traditional titles, Abubakar Alhaji was turbaned as Sardaunan Sokoto in 1990. The title had been vacant since the death of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the first Sardaunan Sokoto, in 1966.
The late Abubakar Alhaji was the elder brother of the late Aliyu Dasuki, who was adopted by Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki.
His life is a testament to dedication, competence, and the immense contribution he made to the development of government and the economy of Nigeria.
