Toba Owojaiye Reporting
In a solemn display of reverence and national respect, a high-powered Nigerian delegation including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and former APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje arrived early Tuesday in Madina, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the final rites for the late business titan Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 94.
Truth Live News gathered that the Nigerian entourage, which touched down at the Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport at 5:15 a.m. local time, reflects the stature of a man whose life’s work transcended commerce and entered the fabric of Nigerian history.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of our beloved father, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata,” his longtime aide Mustapha Junaid wrote in a tribute posted online, confirming the death of the man often regarded as the last pillar of Nigeria’s first-generation industrialists.
Dantata, a patriarch of the illustrious Dantata dynasty and uncle to Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, will be buried today in Madina, following Islamic burial rites in one of Islam’s holiest cities — a rare honour that reflects his standing not only in Nigeria but across the Muslim world.
Among those accompanying the delegation are:
Senator Muntari Dandutse, Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund
Rt. Hon. Ali Madaki, Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives
Prince Abdullahi Abbas, APC Chairman, Kano State
Engr. Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari, Member representing Makoda/Dambatta Federal Constituency
Hon. Sani Bala, and Usman Kansila
The late Dantata’s son, Ahmad Dantata, is also part of the delegation.
Sources close to the family confirm that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State and other Northern Governors, prominent Emirs, and business leaders are expected to join or have already arrived in Madina for the Janazah prayers, though official confirmations are still coming in at the time of filing this report.
Alhaji Aminu Dantata was the last surviving son of Alhassan Dantata, the legendary merchant who laid the foundation for modern commerce in Northern Nigeria. Known for his quiet philanthropy, vast investments in oil, construction, and manufacturing, and his role as a bridge between the traditional and modern economy, Aminu Dantata earned a reputation as “the conscience of Northern business.”
He was also a respected Islamic scholar and mentor to many of today’s leading industrialists.
The decision to bury Dantata in Madina, near the Prophet Muhammad’s mosque, is being seen by many as a testament to the depth of his faith, and the enduring transnational ties between Northern Nigeria and the spiritual heartland of Islam.
“This is a farewell not just from Nigeria, but from the entire Ummah,” said one pilgrim from Katsina, who had prayed beside Dantata during past Hajj pilgrimages.
The burial in Madina closes a monumental chapter in Nigeria’s post-colonial business history. For many in the North, Dantata represented a living memory of resilience, enterprise, and unity.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with economic turbulence and a generational shift in leadership, the passing of Aminu Dantata raises deeper questions about the values, vision, and institutions that once shaped national greatness.