Renowned Nigerian business magnate and philanthropist, Aminu Dantata, has passed away at the age of 94, with his final resting place set to be the holy city of Medina, Saudi Arabia. Dantata died on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he had been receiving medical care. His burial is scheduled for Tuesday, following approval from Saudi authorities—a fulfillment of his personal wish to be laid to rest in the sacred city where Prophet Muhammad once lived and died.
Dantata, a towering figure in Nigeria’s economic and philanthropic circles, was the uncle of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote. At the time of his death, he was survived by three wives, 21 children, and a staggering 121 grandchildren.
Born into wealth and tradition, Aminu Dantata was the son of Alhassan Dantata, who was once regarded as the richest man in West Africa. While many expected him to embrace a life of extravagance, Dantata chose humility, continuing to live in Kano’s modest quarters long after his business empire spanned agriculture, construction, real estate, and manufacturing.
His path to success began early. In an interview with Trust TV last year, he recalled how his father instilled the values of enterprise in him and his siblings from childhood. “At five, six, or seven, we already knew what it meant to earn,” he said. During school breaks, their time wasn’t spent on leisure, but in the family trade—primarily groundnut and kola nut trading, which became the foundation of his business life.
At just 17, Dantata took over the reins of the family business from his elder brother, Ahmadu Dantata, managing operations from Bichi in the 1950s. What followed was a lifetime of strategic growth that made him one of Nigeria’s wealthiest and most respected men.
Though immensely wealthy, Aminu Dantata was perhaps even more widely known for his philanthropy. His charitable activities extended across Nigeria, particularly in the north. Just last year, he donated ₦1.5 billion (about $972,000) to aid flood victims in Borno State—a gesture that exemplified his enduring commitment to community upliftment.
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His generosity, coupled with his reputation for wisdom and discretion, made him a spiritual and political beacon. During the 2023 general elections, a video of President Bola Tinubu bowing in deference to him sparked widespread admiration online. That same President Tinubu, in a tribute on Sunday, described Dantata’s death as a “monumental national loss,” praising his “sterling contributions to Nigeria’s growth and development.”
Arrangements for his burial have been finalized through coordination between the Nigerian embassy in the UAE and Dantata’s family. Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, confirmed that the burial will take place Tuesday in Medina, in accordance with Islamic traditions and Dantata’s own personal wishes.
Already, the Nigerian government has dispatched high-level officials to Saudi Arabia for the funeral rites, including two state governors and four federal ministers. Meanwhile, back home in Kano, special prayers were offered in his memory—a city he called home all his life despite his vast fortune.
As Nigeria mourns the loss of a business icon and spiritual elder, Aminu Dantata’s legacy endures. He represented a rare blend of affluence and humility, vision and tradition, ambition and selflessness. In a world where power often changes people, Dantata remained rooted—committed to his faith, his family, and his country. And in death, as in life, he chose meaning over spectacle—requesting a final rest in the city that mirrored his devotion.
Medina will now hold not just the memories of saints, but also of a Nigerian son whose life was a quiet but resounding testament to integrity, hard work, and grace.
