Aminu Dantata: Nigerian billionaire to be buried in Saudi Arabia
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu described Dantata's death as a "monumental national loss' in a statement.He said Dantata had made "sterling contributions to Nigeria's growth and development" through decades of enterprise, service, and philanthropy.He was known across Nigeria for his philanthropic activities. Last year, he donated 1.5 billion naira ($972,000; £710,000) to victims of the devastating floods in north-eastern Borno state.His business interests cut across agriculture, real estate, construction and manufacturing.He first made his name in agriculture, starting trading kola nuts and groundnuts in the 1940s.He came from a business family - his father Alhassan Dantata was once considered to be the richest man in West Africa.Despite his riches, Dantata lived in one of the poorest areas of the northern city of Kano, like his parents before him.His influence was also felt in politics, with politicians eager to seek his blessings before elections.A video of President Tinubu bowing to greet him before the 2023 elections went viral on social media.A special prayer was held for him in Kano, where he lived all his life.Two Nigerian governors and the defence minister have gone to Medina for his funeral.
More about Nigeria from the BBC:
Nigeria's major tax overhaul explainedWhat is behind the wave of killings in central Nigeria?Culture and colour come out in praise of a Nigerian king
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
21 minutes ago
- BBC News
US govment list wetin foreign students go do to make dem lose dia visa and future eligibility
Di govment of di United States of America don cut warning give international students say dem fit cancel dia students visa if dem leave dia program of study and dem no tell dia school. US govment say any student wey dey study for dia kontri and dem miss class witout informing dia school, dem go cancel dia future visa eligibility. Dis na according to di new announcement by di US Mission for Nigeria on Monday 4 August 2025. Dis dey come as di US say dia reduction in validity na part of ongoing global review of di use of US visas by oda kontris. "If you drop out, skip classes, or comot your program of study wey you no inform your school, your student visa fit dey cancelled. "You fit lose eligibility for future U.S. visas," US Mission for Nigeria tok for dia X post. Dem warn students make dem obey di terms of visa and maintain dia student status so dem no go get any issues. Recently di United States Mission for Nigeria for one statement bin announce sweeping changes to dia non-immigrant visa policy for Nigeria, wey reduce di duration and conditions under wey most Nigerian travellers go fit enta America. For years, di US dey issue Nigerians wit 5-year visitor visas and 2-year student visas, even though Nigeria dey only offer single-entry visas valid for three months only for those wey dey plan to visit di kontri from US. Also, di US don previously tok say Nigerians and oda foreigners wey dey plan or already dey U.S, make dem no overstay dia visa ro dem go face serious wahal. "If you remain for di United States beyond your authorized period of stay, you fit be deported and fit face a permanent ban on traveling to di United States for di future" di Embassy take tok. Meanwhile, di Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) tell Nigerians make dem use dia U.S. visas responsibly and make dem no pass dia boundary. Di tok tok pesin for di Nigeria immigration, Akinsola Akinlabi, say Nigerians wey dey hold U.S. visas gatz obey di terms and conditions under wey dia visas dey granted. "Make all visa holders dey advised to strictly keep to di purpose wey dey stated for dia visa applications." "U.S. authorities dey conduct security screening beyond di initial point of entry into di kontri. Any breach of immigration or oda laws fit lead to visa revocation or deportation." All dis warning na for anybodi wey dey plan go America weda na for school, business, waka, or any oda reason, to dey careful and obey wetin dey dia visa application. Why US fit cancel your visa
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Does Nunez move raise questions over PIF priorities?
To add to a deeply frustrating transfer window for Newcastle fans, it now looks like Darwin Nunez could make a move from Liverpool to Al Hilal in Saudi Liverpool to sell Nunez to free up the cash to potentially pursue Alexander Isak again makes so little sense to me. Al Hilal and Newcastle have the same overall owners, and they must know how much we do not want Liverpool to suddenly have a glut of cash is particularly galling when taken in the context of Eddie Howe's recent comments - that players have to "earn the right" to train with the rest of the squad. Not a Newcastle fan? Find and follow your clubThe team are back from pre-season and back in training this week, which represents a real opportunity to have a serious conversation and hopefully move forward without all this noise and also makes me think about what the priority is for our majority owners PIF. More and more discontent has been felt in the fanbase lately over where Newcastle sit on PIF's list of priorities, and allowing another of their clubs to benefit at the potential expense of us feels even more like we are being overlooked. Perhaps it is their clever way of getting money into NUFC, but I think most fans would say we would rather an improved contract was given to Isak, the dust of the summer settles, and he stays with us a little while more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Are Newcastle's owners helping Liverpool buy Isak?
The Saudi Pro League is emerging as a possible destination for Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez this Sport understands that a potential move to the Middle East for the Uruguay international has been explored this summer with intermediaries actively working on trying to broker a who are controlled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and coached by former Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi, are interested in offloading Nunez would financially aid Liverpool's efforts to land striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle - another club owned by PIF - this would PIF be allowing one of their clubs to benefit at the expense of another if Al-Hilal sign Nunez? 'What is PIF's priority? There is some uncertainty over whether Nunez, 26, is prepared to leave European football at this stage in his has also been a target for Italian champions Napoli this summer while other European sides have also shown an owns 75% stakes in four of the leading Saudi Arabian clubs, including Al-Hilal, while it also owns a 80% stake in Magpies rejected a £110m bid from Liverpool for Isak on Friday, with Newcastle valuing the Sweden international at about £150m."It makes me think about what the priority is for PIF," Newcastle fan writer Charlotte Robson told BBC Sport."More and more discontent has been felt in the fanbase lately over where Newcastle sit on PIF's list of priorities, and allowing another of their clubs to benefit at the potential expense of us feels even more like we are being overlooked."Perhaps it's their clever way of getting money into NUFC, but I think most fans would say we'd rather an improved contract was given to Isak, the dust of the summer settles, and he stays with us a little while longer." 'Liverpool can afford Isak without Nunez money' However, football finance expert Kieran Maguire says Liverpool can afford to buy Isak regardless of whether Nunez stays or leaves."Although they've been very active in the transfer window, if they really wanted to, they could have spent another £200-250m, and still would have been within the PSR [profit and sustainability rules] limits," he told BBC have signed Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Armin Pecsi for a combined total of about £265m without the departures of Luis Diaz, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher and Trent Alexander-Arnold have recouped an initial £ added: "I think people are joining the dots and perhaps making two plus two equals five in terms of, is this a 'you scratching my back? I'll scratch yours' type of situation. But in my view, there's insufficient evidence to back that up."I suspect that Liverpool are likely to be the biggest beneficiary of this, rather than a PIF club. Newcastle don't want to sell Isak."As far as Al Hilal are concerned, there are plenty of strikers that they could have bought. It just so happens that Nunez is effectively available, and therefore they decided to pursue that as an option." What's the latest on Isak? Isak joined Newcastle in a £60m move from La Liga side Real Sociedad in was the club's top scorer last season as they won the Carabao Cup, ending their 70-year wait for domestic 25-year-old, who was reported as wanting to explore a move away from Tyneside by BBC Sport in July, was left out of the club's pre-season tour of Asia with what the club called a "minor thigh injury".Last week, the Sweden international trained alone at former club Real Sociedad amid ongoing uncertainty about his future, although sources say he returned to Newcastle training on boss Eddie Howe said Isak must "earn the right" to train with his squad again and, speaking to the Newcastle Chronicle, said he had not spoken to the forward since Liverpool lodged a Newcastle boss, speaking before he travelled back home with his squad from South Korea, added that Liverpool, as far as he was aware, had not been back in touch since making their offer.
