Former Finance Minister Abubakar Alhaji Buried at 88 as FG Plans to Immortalise Him
Nigeria bids farewell to Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, former Minister of Finance and Sardaunan Sokoto, who was laid to rest in Sokoto at the age of 88. Vice President Kashim Shettima led dignitaries at the funeral, recognizing the elder statesman's profound legacy as a technocrat and public servant who significantly shaped Nigeria's economic landscape.
Former Minister of Finance and elder statesman, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, has been laid to rest at the Hubbare royal cemetery in Sokoto following his death at the age of 88 in Abuja. The burial was conducted according to Islamic rites and attended by top government officials, traditional rulers and political leaders from across the country. Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu at the funeral ceremony.
Vice-President Shettima described the late Sardaunan Sokoto as a "behemoth of institutional memory" whose contributions to nation-building would endure for generations. He announced that the Federal Government intends to immortalise Alhaji in recognition of his decades of distinguished public service. The Vice-President also paid a condolence visit to the Sultan of Sokoto and members of the deceased's family after the burial.
Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji served as Minister of Finance and Minister of National Planning between 1985 and 1986 during the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida. He also held several key positions, including Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Nigeria's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, while rising through the ranks of the federal civil service.
Widely regarded as one of Nigeria's foremost technocrats, he played a significant role in shaping the country's economic policies and public institutions.