Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Kano-born billionaire businessman, has passed away at the age of 93 after battling a prolonged illness associated with old age.
Family sources confirmed his death to our correspondent, stating that the elder statesman “succumbed to death in the early hours of Saturday.”
He is expected to be buried later today (Saturday) in accordance with “Muslim rites.”
Born on May 19, 1931, Dantata was the 15th of 17 children in a family with a storied history in commerce and enterprise. He was the son of Alhassan Dantata, a legendary merchant who laid the foundation of a business empire that would span generations. The Dantata family lineage traces back to Katsina before settling in Bebeji, Kano State.
Aminu Dantata began his education at Dala Primary School in 1938 and completed his studies in 1949 through home education at a private school established by his father. He joined the family business, Alhassan Dantata & Sons, in 1948 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the head of the company in 1960 after the death of his brother and former managing director, Ahmadu Dantata.
Under his leadership, the Dantata business empire expanded its interests across several industries, including construction, petroleum, finance, and manufacturing. He was the founder of Express Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd and played a significant role in the establishment of Jaiz Bank, Nigeria’s first non-interest banking institution.
His influence extended to public service. In 1968, he was appointed Kano State Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, and Industry under Governor Audu Bako. He also served on the board of the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank and was part of Nigeria’s first global economic mission after independence.
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During Nigeria’s indigenisation policy era in the 1970s, Dantata’s companies acquired stakes in prominent firms such as Mentholatum, SCOA, Funtua Cotton Seed Crushing Company, and Raleigh Industries.
Despite his vast wealth, Dantata remained a humble and deeply religious man. He was widely recognised for his philanthropy, especially through the Kano State Foundation, which supported education and entrepreneurship.
He is often credited with providing the seed capital that helped his relative, Aliko Dangote, become Africa’s richest man. Many remember him as not just a businessman but a pillar of community development and a benefactor whose legacy will endure for generations.
Musa Abdillah, a Kano-based resident, described Dantata as “a source of wealth and prosperity for many,” noting that his legacy “goes beyond riches – it lies in the lives he touched and the opportunities he created.”
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