A high-level Nigerian delegation, including Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and several federal ministers, has arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of the burial of renowned businessman and philanthropist, Aminu Dantata.
Dantata, who died earlier this week at the age of 94, is expected to be buried in Madinah beside his late wife, Rabi’a Dantata, at the revered Prophet’s Mosque — fulfilling his long-held wish to be interred in the Islamic holy land.
High-ranking government officials, prominent businessmen, and leading Islamic clerics are expected to attend the burial ceremony scheduled to take place in the holy city of Madinah.
Leading the Nigerian delegation was Yusuf, accompanied by Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, and Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State.
The dignitaries were joined by top government officials, including Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar; Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris; and Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa.
Also present were prominent Islamic clerics such as Bashir Umar, Commander-General of the Kano Hisbah Board, Aminu Daurawa, and the Chief Imam of Dantata Mosque in Abuja, Khalifa Muhammad.
Members of the Nigerian consulate in Jeddah, led by Consul-General Mu’azzam Nayaya, coordinated the diplomatic arrangements.
Saudi authorities had earlier delayed the burial due to weekend administrative bottlenecks, but eventually granted approval for interment within the Prophet’s Mosque cemetery, a rare privilege accorded to distinguished Muslims globally.
Meanwhile, in Kano, a special Salatul Gha’ib (funeral prayer in absentia) was organised by the Council of Ulama at the Ahmadu Tijjani Mosque in Kofar Mata, as thousands of residents gathered to pay their respects to the late industrialist.
Born in 1931, Aminu Dantata was the last surviving son of the legendary merchant, Alhassan Dantata.
He played a key role in the growth of Nigeria’s economy, particularly in the areas of agriculture, construction, real estate, and oil and gas.
Dantata was also a notable philanthropist and Islamic leader who funded numerous schools, mosques, and charities across Nigeria.
His death marks the end of an era in Nigerian commerce and public life. Condolences have poured in from across the country, including from United States President Donald Trump, who described Dantata as “a symbol of African enterprise and dignity.”
With his burial in the heart of Islam’s second-holiest city, Aminu Dantata’s legacy now rests not only in the institutions he built and the lives he impacted, but also in the sacred soil of Madinah, beside his beloved wife and among the pious.
