Breaking: Dantata, Renowned Business Mogul, Dies at 94
By Baba Dan’Iya
Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, Kano-born billionaire businessman and elder statesman, is dead.
He died in the early hours of Saturday at the age of 94, following a prolonged illness associated with old age.
Family sources confirmed the death of the nonagenarian to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.
Burial arrangements are expected to take place later on Saturday in accordance with Islamic rites.
Born on May 19, 1931, Dantata was a prominent industrialist and investor with substantial interests in finance, real estate, and the petroleum sectors.
He was the son of the renowned merchant, Alhaji Alhassan Dantata. He began his business career as a produce buyer under the family enterprise, Alhassan Dantata and Sons Limited.
In 1962, he was appointed a member of the Steering Committee of the Nigeria Industrial Development Bank and later became one of its directors.
Dantata led several trade missions abroad and played significant roles in both business and governance.
He was elected to the Northern House of Assembly in 1966 and was appointed as a Commissioner in the Kano State Government in 1967, a position he held until 1973.
He also served as a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee that produced the 1979 Constitution which ushered in Nigeria’s Second Republic.
Dantata received honorary degrees from several Nigerian universities including Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Bayero University, Kano; Abia State University; Imo State University, Owerri; and Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
He was Life Patron of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Patron of the Kano State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.
He also served as Patron of the National Council of Farmers and the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industries.
The late industrialist was a recipient of Nigeria’s national honours—Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and Commander of the National Republic of Niger (CONN).
Dantata was widely celebrated for his philanthropy, with major contributions to education, youth empowerment, and skills acquisition programmes.
He was also known for fostering peace and unity among the business community and political class in Kano and beyond.
A devout Muslim, Dantata contributed immensely to the propagation of Islam. He served as Chancellor of Al-Qalam University, Katsina, and was a Non-Executive Director of Jaiz Bank Plc.
