Alhaji Aminu Dantata, the renowned Kano-based businessman and philanthropist who passed away early Saturday morning, made headlines when he hosted then-APC Vice Presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, and his delegation at his Koki Quarters residence in the heart of the commercial city.
Here are 10 amazing facts about the late billionaire businessman.
1.He was born in the city of Kano in 1931, to the famous business tycoon Alhaji Alhassan Dantata. His father was one of West Africa’s wealthiest merchants in the early 20th century. Aminu Dantata was the 17th child of the business mogul.
2.Aminu Dantata was educated at Dala Primary School and then finished his education through home studies in a private school built by his father in 1949.
3.He joined the family business, Alhassan Dantata & Sons in 1948 as a produce buyer, the same year he also got married. In 1955, he became the Sokoto district manager of the business. When his father died 1955, the shares in the business were distributed to the children.
4.In 1958, Aminu Dantata became the deputy managing director of the business while his brother Ahmadu, was the MD. When Ahmadu died in 1960, Dantata became the head of the business.
5.By the beginning of the 1960s, Aminu Dantata had a construction firm that that was involved in building part of the Nigeria College of Aviation (NCAT), Zaria, then known as School of Aviation.
6.In 1964, he was among the pioneer board members of the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB), now Bank of Industry (BoI).
7.In 1968, Dantata was appointed Kano State commissioner for Economic Development, Trade and Industry under the administration of Audu Bako, he was in the position until 1973.
8.Alhaji Aminu Dantata is the life patron of the Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.
9.He was also the patron of Kano State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, the National Council of Farmers and the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industries.
Aminu Dantata is the founder and co-founder of several companies across various sectors of the economy, famous among which are Express Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd, Jaiz Bank, etc.
10.In 1978, he was a member of the National Movement, an organisation that later transformed to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).