Sa'adu Zungur

Zungur was born in 1914 in Ganjuwa, Bauchi province (modern-day Bauchi state) to then Imam of Bauchi Muhammadu Bello.

He grew up in a household that placed strong emphasis on religious teachings.

He commenced his Islamic education at a young age and progressed to studying more advanced aspects of Islam, such as fiqh (Islamic jurispudence).

Despite his religious upbringing, his father also encouraged him to pursue a western education, a rarity in 1920s colonial Northern Nigeria.

In 1920, he was enrolled in Bauchi Provincial School, and in 1929, he furthered his education at Katsina Higher College (now known as Barewa College), which was one of the pioneering college institutions in Northern Nigeria.

At the age of 20, he enrolled in the newly established Yaba Higher College in Lagos as the first government sponsored Northerner to study outside of the North.

He also became the first Northerner to study Pharmacy.

Zungur desired to study Chemistry and Biology at Yaba but was refused.

This lead him to discontinue his studies at the college and in 1935, was posted to School of Hygiene in Kano (now College of Health Science and Technology) as punishment.

During his time in Kano, Zungur initially trained as a Class Sanitary Inspector.

However, shortly after beginning this training, he was promoted to the role of a Teacher within a month.

In 1939, Zungur was transferred to School of Hygiene in Zaria where he continued to teach.

In the same year he established the Hausa Youth Keep Fit Class, a class for youth around Zaria on physical fitness.

While in Zaria, he met Aminu Kano who was studying at Kaduna College.

Their connection evolved into a deep friendship, marked by frequent discussions about political matters and concerns that were relevant to Northern Nigeria.

During this time, Zungur was said to have "influenced Aminu's thinking profoundly."

At various times in the late 1940s and 1950s, he was active in other prominent political parties like the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, the Northern People's Congress and the Northern Elements Progressive Union.

Despite his prolonged battle with a lung disorder, which spanned nearly two decades, Zungur remained active in the fight for Nigeria's independence and its societal reform.

His dedication and contributions earned him recognition as a prominent figure in the struggle for social justice and self-governance.

During his time teaching in the 1940s, Zungur was a proponent of Ahmadiyya and Egyptian patterns of Islamic reform but he later abandoned his affiliation with the sect.

By 1941, Zungur had assumed the position of head of the School of Pharmacy in Zaria.

In the following year, he founded the Northern Nigeria Youth Movement (NNYM), which eventually evolved into the Zaria Friendly Society (ZFS) or Taron Masu Zunuta, with Abubakar Imam, a prominent writer who was the editor of the Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo newspaper.

The association was a platform which Zungur used to agitate for social reforms and to educate and enlighten the people of Northern Nigeria on political issues.

He also founded the Northern Provinces General Improvement Union (NPGIU) during the time.

He was later stricken with a lung disorder (possibly tuberculosis) which led to take a break from teaching and to return to his home in Bauchi to rest.

While at Bauchi, Zungur together with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Aminu Kano and some Northern elites formed the Bauchi General Improvement Union (BGIU), one of the first political organisations in Northern Nigeria and the Bauchi Discussion Circle (BDC).

The BGIU and BDC were avenues for Zungur to express his radical views, opposed to the Emir's autocracy and the British indirect rule system.

Zungur's radical stance often put him at odds with the colonial authorities, especially the Native Authority.

An incident involving him and a European mechanical inspector named John Orgle exemplified this confrontational approach.

Orgle had been fond of harassing the female Hausa natives by bringing out his penis in an attempt to court them, leading Zungur to call him a Chilakowa (red-billed hornbill).

In response, Orgle pulled out a revolver and shot at Zungur, narrowly missing him.

Zungur took legal action against Orgle, and he was subsequently fined five pound sterling by a Jos magistrate court and redeployed elsewhere, serving no prison time.

He regularly espoused "a secular national state based on "progressive" principles" while utilizing metaphors adapted from his religious heritage.

Mallam Sa'adu Zungur (1914 – 28 January 1958) was a Nigerian revolutionary, poet, jurist and nationalist who played an important role in Nigeria's independence movement particularly in Northern Nigeria.

He is generally regarded as the father of 'radical politics' in Northern Nigeria.

Zungur's political writings criticising the colonial government of Northern Nigeria, especially the emirate system, helped in laying the foundation for the principle of self-determination in Nigeria.

His literary and political endeavors influenced a number of the leaders of the independence movement in Northern Nigeria, notably Aminu Kano and Isa Wali.

Zungur also founded a number of political organisations, including the Zaria Friendly Society and Northern Elements Progressive Association, which later played an important role in shaping the region's political landscape and later influenced the establishment of subsequent political parties and movements.

He passed away in 1958, just two years before Nigeria achieved independence.

The Sa’adu Zungur University (formerly Bauchi State University, Gadau) is named after him.