Aminu Dantata, former Nigerian president of Kano State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) is dead at 94. At the time he was one of the country’s richest capitalists. He could rely on a rich family background, with deep connections to industry. His legacy is inextricably linked to the entrepreneurial spirit that guided his life. Dantata’s contributions went well outside of the commercial space. He is famous for his philanthropic activities, including a 1.5 billion naira ($972,000) donation to support flood victims in Borno state.
Enterprise ran in the family Aminu Dantata was raised among globally minded entrepreneurs. His paternal grandfather, Alhaji Alhassan Dantata was the wealthiest man in West Africa. This lineage would go on to provide the foundation for his future successes. At barely 17 years of age, Dantata began his entrepreneurial journey in the 1940s. He began trading in kola nuts and groundnuts. In the 1950s, when his elder brother Ahmadu Dantata. He was justly proud to have built upon the foundation their father laid in Bichi.
Dantata’s dedication to education contributed greatly to his character. Prior to that, he had formal Islamic education, before moving into a secondary school that his father opened in Kano. This intense, formative focus on learning set the stage for his incredible success in business and philanthropy.
Aminu Dantata never lost touch with his community. Like his parents and grandparents before them, he had lived all his life in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Kano. His humility and commitment to philanthropy endeared him to Americans across the country and they deeply respected and admired his dedication to service.
As his family tree suggests, Dantata led a full life. He is survived by three wives, 21 children, and 121 grandchildren. His family ties went even deeper, as outside of his nuclear family, he was the uncle of Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man.
Dantata is perhaps best known for his down-to-earth approach to business and finance. Just last year, he reiterated the need to teach financial literacy at an early age.
“In our family, a child starts learning how to earn money from as early as five, six or seven years old.” – Aminu Dantata
His death is certainly the end of an era of Nigerian business. He leaves behind a legacy rich not only in commercial achievement, but in transformative humanitarian work.
“You see how people bring groundnuts on donkeys and in sacks – you should also know how to start earning money.” – Aminu Dantata
His death marks the end of an era in Nigerian business, leaving behind a legacy rich in both commercial success and humanitarian efforts.