Nigeria mourned the passing of Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, an illustrious son, on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at the age of 94, in the United Arab Emirates after a brief illness. His death followed closely after the demises of Professor Jubril Aminu and Justice Muhammad Lawal Uwais. Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata embodied multiple facets of human endeavor, serving as a renowned businessman, a significant politician, and a respected elder statesman who contributed immensely to Nigeria's economic development and philanthropic landscape. He was laid to rest in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, in accordance with his wishes.

Born on Sunday, May 19, 1931, he was the 15th of 17 children of the legendary business magnate Alhassan Dantata. Alhaji Aminu received early Islamic education and attended Dala Primary School in Kano from 1938 to 1945, completing his Western education through home studies at a private school built by his father in 1949. His journey in commerce began early, ingrained by his father who emphasized enterprise and the value of money.

In 1948, he joined the family business, Alhassan Dantata & Sons, as a produce buyer, playing a significant role in popularizing Kano's groundnut pyramids. Following his father's death in 1955, the children inherited the enterprise. Aminu Dantata became deputy managing director in 1958, and after the death of his elder brother Ahmadu in 1960, he took the helm of the business. Under his astute guidance, the company diversified extensively into various sectors, including construction, manufacturing, real estate, transport, petroleum, agriculture, and banking. He founded Express Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd and was instrumental in establishing Jaiz Bank, Nigeria's first non-interest bank. A pioneer board member of the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB), now the Bank of Industry (BoI), since 1964, he also led the Dantata Group to acquire major shares in previously foreign-owned firms such as Mentholatum, SCOA, Funtua Cotton Seed Crushing Company, and Raleigh Industries during the post-civil war indigenization program. He famously claimed ownership of land 'all over the world', a testament to his father's teaching on generational wealth through land acquisition.

Beyond his vast business empire, Dantata played critical roles in politics and public service. In 1961, he was elected to the House of Representatives and also to the Northern House of Assembly, demonstrating his early involvement in national affairs. From 1968 to 1973, he served as Kano State Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade and Industry under the administration of Police Commissioner Audu Bako. In 1978, he was a member of the Constituent Assembly that ratified the 1979 Constitution for the Second Republic. While he was once considered for a youth leadership role in the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), his father's ties to the emirate prevented him from accepting the position. Later in life, he expressed disappointment over the erosion of integrity in modern politics.

One of Alhaji Aminu Dantata's most defining characteristics was his profound simplicity, humility, and unwavering generosity. Despite owning a personal jet since 1967 and houses in numerous countries, he lived an unpretentious life, never known to hold a traditional title. His philanthropy was extensive, with billions of naira channeled towards supporting schools, hospitals, orphanages, widows, physically challenged persons, mosques, and disaster relief, including a significant N1.5 billion donation to victims of the Maiduguri flooding in 2024. His guiding philosophy regarding wealth acquisition was: “I pray to Allah not to give me what would not benefit others.” Testimonies from ordinary Nigerians, such as Musa Shehu, a mechanic who operated on Dantata's land for years without paying rent, highlighted his belief in self-reliance and his indirect support for countless individuals.

Tributes poured in from across Nigeria. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hailed Dantata's death as a “monumental national loss,” praising his sterling contributions to Nigeria's economic growth, his public-spirited philanthropy, industry, diligence, and commitment to national unity. Former President Muhammadu Buhari remembered his “monumental legacy in philanthropy and entrepreneurship” and his stable leadership of one of the country's oldest business families. Vice President Kashim Shettima described him as an “irreplaceable institution” and “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history.”

In his later years, Alhaji Aminu Dantata spoke candidly about his mortality, noting the passing of most of his siblings and friends. He expressed a diminishing enjoyment of life, particularly after the death of his second wife, Rabi, in April 2023. At 91 and 92, he articulated a readiness for his time, seeking forgiveness from anyone he might have offended and extending forgiveness to those who might have offended him. Beyond his public life, he was a private man with a passion for sports, particularly football and polo, owning racing horses that competed internationally.

His passing, especially the convergence of Kano's fragmented elite in Saudi Arabia for his burial, served as a poignant reminder of his unifying legacy. Many called for his death to be a turning point for Kano, urging leaders to resolve the ongoing crisis of the splintered emirate institution and mend the state's political and cultural fabric as a true tribute to his life and principles. Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata leaves behind a powerful legacy of industry, philanthropy, humility, and grace.