Former Minister of Finance and Sardauna of Sokoto, Abubakar Alhaji, has died.
Family sources confirmed that the elder statesman died on Thursday morning at a hospital in Abuja after a brief illness. He was 88 years old.
Alhaji served in several key positions in the Federal Government and later represented Nigeria as the country’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
A direct descendant of Shehu Usmanu Danfodiyo, Alhaji began his career in the Federal Civil Service in 1964 as an Assistant Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance.
He rose through the ranks and was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Trade in 1975. In 1979, he returned to the Ministry of Finance as Permanent Secretary.
During his time as Permanent Secretary, he managed Nigeria’s dealings with external creditors and was a member of the country’s negotiating team for the Lomé II Agreement.
His performance in public service earned him an appointment as Minister of State for Budget and National Planning in 1988 under the military government of Ibrahim Babangida.
Alhaji later served as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1991, overseeing the country’s finances during a period of economic reforms and engagement with international financial institutions.
After leaving the Finance Ministry, he was appointed Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in 1992.
He served in London until 1996, when he was replaced during the military administration of Sani Abacha.
Beyond his public service career, Alhaji was a respected traditional title holder in Northern Nigeria.
He was turbaned as the Sardauna of Sokoto in 1990, taking over one of the Sokoto Caliphate’s most respected titles previously held by Ahmadu Bello, who was assassinated in 1966.
As Sardauna of Sokoto, he was widely regarded as a custodian of the history, values and heritage of the Sokoto Caliphate.
