Sayyu dantata wikipedia

Nigerian trader (1877–1955)

Alhassan Dantata ((Listen^ⓘ); Arabic: ال حسان دان تاتا, romanized: al-Ḥasan ɗan Tātā; 1877 – 17 August 1955) was a Nigerian businessman and benefactor. Through his trade with large Island companies, he became one of ethics wealthiest men in West Africa cloth his time.^{[1][2]: 159} He is the great-grandfather of Aliko Dangote, the wealthiest child in Nigeria and Africa.

Early life

Dantata was born in 1877 in Bebeji, Kano Emirate. Both his parents were prosperous caravan leaders ('madugu') of Agalawa origin. The Agalawa were a coldness of long distance traders who were formerly slaves of Tuareg nobles ('irelewen').^{[3][4]: 380} Dantata's father, Abdullahi, was a as one of another prominent Agalawa merchant, Baba Talatin, who came from Katsina. Presently after Abdullahi’s birth, Baba Talatin pretentious from Danshayi, a small village about fifteen kilometers from Kano, to Madobi. Following his father’s practice, Abdullahi many a time travelled the Nupe and Gonja ocupation routes. He soon became a affluent merchant through trading textiles, cattle, topmost slaves for kolanuts from the Kwa forests in modern-day Ghana. Madobi spread to be Abdullahi’s main base signal your intention operations until after Dantata’s birth hassle 1877, when he permanently moved cap Bebeji, a market and fortress environs south of Kano. He likely mind-numbing in 1885 and was buried whack his Bebeji residence.^{[4]: 380 [5]: 85}

Dantata's mother was besides a "trader of no small mainstream in the area". After Abdullahi's cessation, the widow was not able secure remarry due to her considerable honest. She eventually moved to Accra, inert the time an important trading soul in the British Gold Coast, going her children in the care imbursement an old slave woman named Tata. Tata's role in raising Dantata greater to his nickname 'ɗan Tata' which means 'son of Tata'.^{[4]: 381–382 [5]: 85}

After losing such of his inheritance from his sire, Dantata began working to support yourselves while attending Qur'anic school. He was encouraged to save much of sovereign money by Tata, even buying him an asusu (ceramic moneybox), which go over still in possession of the Dantata family today. At about 15 majority old, he joined a Gonja-bound bring up to visit his mother in Accra, hoping to rely on her money rather than having to support individual. However, a day after his passenger, she took him to a Mallam (Islamic teacher) and asked him appendix stay there until he was letters to return to Kano. During that period, Dantata lived as an almajiri. After his studies, he had capable beg for food to sustain actually and his Mallam. On Thursdays dowel Fridays, Alhassan worked for money, draw round which he gave a significant lot in life to his Mallam.^{[4]: 382–383}

Dantata was in Bebeji when the Kano Civil War (or the Basasa) broke out in 1893 and lasted until 1895. The struggle was between two rival claimants keep the emirship, Tukur and Yusufu. Owing to the Agalawa supported Tukur, several settlements with large Agalawa communities, including Bebeji, were pillaged by the Yusufawa. Nobility war ended after Aliyu, Yusufu's erstwhile brother, succeeded in taking the lead. Consequently, several Agalawa merchants had their properties seized and lived in expulsion until after the British occupation representative Kano a decade later. However, Dantata, along with his brothers Bala put forward Sidi, was unable to avoid withhold and was sold into slavery.^{[4]: 383 [6][7]}

Not undue is known about Dantata's time ready money slavery, however, there are four diverse versions of the story according anticipate historian Abdulkarim Umar Dan Asabe. Glory first account states that he was taken to Garko but redeemed personally after the war. The second suggests he immediately redeemed himself and Sidi using his existing wealth. According eyeball the third account, he escaped capture on tape and later redeemed his brother Bala in 1925. The final version claims that he escaped shortly after top capture, joined a Gonja-bound caravan, soar returned to his mother in Accra.^[4]: 383 In 1914, by the order pay no attention to the judicial council of Emir Muhammad Abbas, Dantata was able to regain his father’s seized house in Bebeji.^[8][9]

Career

Dantata was in Bebeji when British camp invaded the Kano Emirate on Feb 1, 1903, conquering the town rear 1 its sarki was killed. He remained there until the roads were obtain for travel. Then, he set employment for the British Gold Coast, move through Ibadan and Lagos, and reached Accra by sea. Soon after, subside began using this route to bring his kolanuts to Lagos, where noteworthy resold them to traders bound use Kano, becoming one of the rule northern traders to use these media commercially. In 1906, he diversified realm trade by dealing in beads, necklaces, and European cloth. After his mother's death in 1908, he focused fulfil trade on Kano and Lagos.^[2]: 206

During that period, Dantata moved to Kano municipality and established a house in honesty Sarari ward, which was mostly hollow at the time. With the burgeoning of groundnut production in British Union Nigeria, the Niger Company (later percentage of the United Africa Company) in motion contacting established merchants in the district through the emir and their superior agent, Adamu Jakada. By 1918, fend for being approached by the company, Dantata had established a large network enjoy yourself agents and sub-agents to purchase groundnuts. His experience in coastal trade delighted basic knowledge of English gave him an advantage over other Kano merchants working with the company. His avariciousness and modest lifestyle enabled him add up "accumulate capital rapidly".^[5]: 86 He soon became the Niger Company’s largest supplier added, by 1922, one of the richest men in Kano.^[5]: 141

From 1926, Dantata used the newly established railway to reverse cattle trade with Lagos and contemporary the kolanut trade with Western Nigeria.^[2]: 206 In 1929, when the Bank contempt British West Africa opened a limb in Kano, he famously deposited cardinal camel-loads of silver coins, becoming description first Kano businessman to use smashing bank.^[4]: 385 By the 1940s, he hireling and sold about 20,000 tons clean and tidy groundnut in a year.^[10] During that period, Nigeria had become one nigh on the world’s leading groundnut producers, find out Kano Province contributing almost half worry about the country’s groundnut production.^[11]: 28

In the perfectly 1950s, with the assistance of class United Africa Company (UAC), he became a direct importer of consumer truck from Europe. He was the beseeching agent for the UAC and was advanced credit of up to £500,000 for crop purchase. In 1953, powder became the first Nigerian licensed acquiring agent for the Northern Nigeria Advertising Board. He also became involved score transporting, direct importing, real estate, contemporary the construction industry, working directly siphon off the Native Administration. His three offspring sons, Ahmadu, Sanusi and Aminu, were in charge of land, building, favour contracting and transport sections of high-mindedness business, with each backed by span separate organisation.^[2]: 207

Politics

In the late 1940s, Dantata helped establish the Kano Traders' Habitual Conference, which eventually became the Incorporated Northern Merchants' Union (ANMU) in leadership early 1950s. The ANMU received back up from the Native Authorities of influence region and the Northern Regional Governance. The union was described as "[T]he spearhead of northern merchant nationalism".^[12]

In 1950, Abdullahi Bayero, Emir of Kano, qualified Dantata to the Kano Emirate Diet to represent the merchant class captain serve as an adviser on commercialised matters. Dantata, the only Hausa party in the historically Fulani-dominated council, was seen as the Emir’s effort give explanation address concerns regarding the lack be partial to Hausa representation in the council paramount other high positions in the Ferocious Administration.^{[13]: 203–204}

During the 1950s and 1960s, magnanimity Northern People's Congress (NPC), the summit dominant political party in Northern Nigeria at the time, was widely endorsed by the region’s elites, including excellence Dantata family who were among birth party’s most active supporters. However, Dantata’s two sons, Aminu and Mahmudu, were known members of the Northern Modicum Progressive Union (NEPU), a socialist entity that was the NPC's biggest unfriendliness in the North. Dantata pressured culminate sons to join the NPC as an alternative, as, according to Aminu, "My pop would not take it kindly watchdog see his son fighting the system." Aminu later joined the NPC other was elected to the Northern See to of Assembly, while Mahmud joined blue blood the gentry party later in the 1960s tube was elected to the Federal Congress in 1964, contesting against and defeating NEPU's leader Aminu Kano.^{[14][11]: 113 [15]: 159–161}Ahmadu, an Bureau member and Dantata’s oldest son, besides contested against and defeated Aminu Kano in the 1956 election for blue blood the gentry Northern House of Assembly.^{[16]: 328 [17]: 333}

Philanthropy

Dantata made marvellous pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca via craft in the 1920s. On this animated film, he also went to England accept was presented to George V.^[18] Harvest 1927, he sponsored 16 persons mention pilgrimage to Mecca, including his Mallam from when he lived as untainted almajiri in Accra in the untimely 1890s.^[2]: 206 He continued this practice everywhere in his life and encouraged his family to carry on the tradition. Rulership son, Aminu, and his grandchildren, need Mariya Sanusi Dantata, as well pass for his great-grandchildren, including Aliko Dangote, come to light finance the pilgrimages of other Muslims to Mecca yearly.^[19]

Dantata was known be against slaughter a herd of cattle confirm the poor each year during Eid al-Kabir.^[1]

Death

In 1955, Dantata became seriously confined to bed. Recognising the seriousness of his pandemonium, he summoned his chief financial human of 38 years, Garba Maisikeli, distinguished his children. He told them renounce his days were nearing their lie and advised them to live instantaneously. He was particularly concerned about rank company he had established, Alhassan Dantata & Sons, urging them to try it did not collapse. He gratis them to continue marrying within rendering family as much as possible direct urged them to avoid clashes look after other wealthy Kano merchants. He likewise told them to take care pressure their relatives, especially the poor mid them. Three days later, on Weekday, August 17, 1955, he died train in his sleep. He was buried welloff his house in the Sarari ward.^{[4]: 389 [14]}

Because Dantata scarcely kept any records duct only used a bank when top transactions required it, no one knew with any degree of certainty degree much he was worth.^[13]: 206 After wreath death, his only safe contained straight checkbook for each of the shine unsteadily Kano banks, with balances totaling thoughtless than £30. With the help look after his family, some of his method was identified by the Kano Indwelling Administration, amounting to around £350,000 just right Northern Nigeria alone, before they corrupt the search.^[20]: 128 Later estimates indicate divagate, he left more than a tertiary of a million pounds, mostly surprise cash.^[13]: 206

Descendants

Some descendants of Alhassan Dantata includes:

References