Background
He was born in 1926 in Monguno district, Bomu Province in a poor peasant’s family.
He was born in 1926 in Monguno district, Bomu Province in a poor peasant’s family.
After Bornu Middle School, he trained at Bauchi Teacher Training College from 1944 to 1946 and the Higher Teachers College, Katsina from 1949 to 1951. He taught at Bornu Middle and other local schools between times, going to the Moray House College of Education in 1958 and to Edinburgh University to take a certificate in Social Anthropology.
On his return to Nigeria he became the first Native Authority Education Secretary in Northern Nigeria, where he introduced the English language as a first year subject in primary schools and a co-educational programme in 1961. He also promoted women’s education, up-grading the local girls’ schools. In the same year he became Councillor for Education in the Bornu Native Authority and was given the title “Shettima” meaning learned scholar. He held other portfolios until 1965 including Works, Rural Water Supplies and Social Welfare.
Meanwhile he had become a Northern Peoples’ Congress member of parliament in December 1959. He was given his first ministry as Minister of State for the Air Force in April 1965, later promoted Minister of Internal Affairs and a full member of the Federal cabinet, until the military coup of January 1966.
He was one of the ministers of the old regime with a clean record but it still came as something of a surprise when he was the only pre-coup cabinet minister to be chosen by General Gowon as a commissioner in 1967. He became Commissioner for Industry in June 1967, with Trade added to his portfolio in September.
During the war he travelled widely to keep trade flowing and signed numerous trade agreements for his government.
In 1968 he was elected as Vice-President at the UNCTAD II meeting in New Delhi. He was Commissioner for Trade and Industry until October 1971, when he was shifted to Mines and Power.
He was also regularly a member of the Nigerian delegations to the UN between 1961 and 1971 and led delegations to a series of UNCTAD, UNIDO and OPEC conferences.
A modest and cultivated Muslim teacher, educationist and educational reformer in his native Bomu State. More interested in public service and performance than the intrigues of party politics, he was the only cabinet minister in the old government who was made a commissioner when General Gowon drew up his first executive council in 1967. Able to travel widely, he was soon leader of Nigerian delegations to international conferences. Here his talents flowered especially in the United Nations as a committee man, chairman and skilful exponent of his country’s case.