Aminu Kano

Mallam Aminu Kano (9 August 1920 — 17 April 1983) was a Nigerian radical opposition political leader, teacher, poet, playwright, and trade unionist from the northern city of Kano.

He played an active role during the transition from British colonial rule to independence, the First Republic, Military rule, and the Second Republic.

Representing the Kano East constituency, he served as the Deputy Government Chief Whip in the Federal House of Representatives.

During Yakubu Gowon's administration, he served as the Federal Commissioner for Communications and the Federal Commissioner for Health.

The Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Aminu Kano College of Education, Aminu Kano Commerce College and the Aminu Kano College of Islamic Studies all in Kano, are named after him.

He is regarded as one of modern Nigeria's founding fathers and is widely respected throughout the country.

He was a relative to the father of former Head of State Murtala Mohammed, former Minister of Defense Inuwa Wada, Isa Wali and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Aminu Bashir Wali.

Aminu was born in the Sudawa ward of the city of Kano on 9 August 1920 to Rakaiya and Mallam Yusufu of the Gyanawa, a Fulani clan known for their Islamic scholarship, particularly in Islamic law.

Of his mother's six births, he was the only one to reach the age of 15.

Both of his parents were well learned in Islam, and his father later served as the Acting Chief Alkali of Kano.

His grandmother was given the Fulani title of Modibbo, typically reserved for respected Islamic scholars.

According to local tradition, Usman dan Fodio, the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, himself appointed a relative of Aminu to the position of Kano's chief Alkali.

Since then, the Gyanawa have been sought after to occupy legal positions such as alkalis, walis and muftis.

Aminu's maternal lineage also had several learned men and women dating back centuries.

They were Fulbe who emigrated from Kukawa in the Bornu empire to Kano.

Among them was a mallam who served as a personal adviser to the then Emir of Kano, Sulimanu.

This mallam supported himself by breeding and selling pigeons, earning the nickname Mallam Mai Tattabari ('the mallam who raises pigeons').

This nickname became an official title in the Kano palace and has been passed down to his successors, serving as the emirs' personal Imams and advisers on Islamic law.

As an infant, Aminu began his education with his first teachers being his mother and grandmother, who both taught him the Arabic language and how to read the Quran.

After his mother died in 1926, he relocated to his uncle's home to live under the care of his maternal grandmother, who lived there.

Consequently, Halilu, his uncle who was later appointed 'Mallam Mai Tattabari', became responsible for his Koranic education.

Aminu was further enrolled into Shehuci Primary School, a western school, where he was taught how to read and write in English.

He adopted the name of his birthplace, Kano, as his surname, a common practice among western educated Northern Nigerians at the time.

In 1933, Aminu began attending Kano Middle School (later renamed Rumfa College, Kano), a boarding school.

There, in 1935, he led one of the first student strikes in Nigeria against a shortage of soap, poor food, "too many restrictions, and too severe a code of behavior".

After graduating from Kaduna College in 1940, Aminu opted for a career in law rather than following the path of his classmates who mostly chose teaching.

This choice was uncommon as Sharia courts, more popular than the parallel magistrate courts in Kano among Muslims, did not allow lawyers.

Additionally, his interest in studying medicine in England was hindered by the requirement to attend King's College and Yaba Higher College, both in Lagos in Southern Nigeria, for some years.

However, due to ongoing student unrests, the principal of King's College was reluctant to admit Aminu, who was known for leading student protests.

Aminu also attempted to join the army and the police force but was rejected from both as he was five feet four, an inch shorter than the minimum height requirement.

At Kaduna College, many continued to advise him to pursue a teaching career but it was his science teacher, Dr. R. E. Miller, who convinced him to take up teaching as a profession.

Miller's argument was"Look, I'd advise you to join the teaching class. With the war going on, and the Germans advancing on all fronts, it isn't inconceivable that Hitler may temporarily take over Nigeria. In such a case, you would need a professional hiding place, and what better place than teaching? Besides, I would take you as the sole teacher-in-training for science—one of your great loves, right?"

During his teacher training, Aminu was assigned to various towns for teaching assignments.

In his second year, he spent five months each in Bauchi and Zaria and an additional two months "visiting schools in the south".

He then proceeded to Kaduna College (later renamed Barewa College) where he obtained a diploma in education in 1942.

It was in his final year of training in 1942 that his burgeoning radical political views became apparent.

He began writing for the few newspapers and magazines available at the time, like Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo and the West African Pilot, and developed a keen interest in politics.

It was also during this year that he penned his pamphlet 'Kano Under the Hammer of Native Autocracy,' a critique of the Native Authority.

Towards the end of his time at Kaduna College, he met Sa'adu Zungur, who was to "influence Aminu's thinking profoundly".

Zungur, older than Aminu and an earlier proponent of radical politics, served as the head of the School of Pharmacy in Zaria.