July 30th 2026 was not only a mournful state to the Sokoto Caliphate, family, relatives, friends, well wishers and acquaintances of Late Alhaji (Sir) Abubakar Alhaji (The Sardaunan Sokoto), but to the entire global financial sector. For those who knew him, it was end of an era for the man whom is fondly called the “Triple A” in the sector. He could give you his full interest for a few seconds and leave you with the feelings you mattered. This is a feature you will identify in very few individuals. It is poignant and profound. That is because people occupying powerful positions more regularly depict haughtiness and edginess. It could be accurate such people are usually fairly busy, which explains their limited time for benevolence or small talk. That is the usual behaviour you sort of expect. And, then, that was the ‘Late Alhaji Alhaji’s way’. Late Sardaunan Sokoto was used to titles, glamour and recognitions of all sorts. Yet such attention would not make his voice louder. Here was a sophisticated player gifted of enhancing his stature by doing the opposite: restricting his appearances, signifying meekness, and lowering the tone of his voice when talking to the powerful or the vulnerable. Almost everyone that came across this rare combination of charm and poise was conquered. Alhaji was a rare gentleman that transmitted noble upbringing and natural politeness.
If the world has to mention one person who has taken the name of Nigeria to every corner of the globe in the economy and financial sector, then that person would be, without any dispute, the late internationally-known financial guru, diplomat, a global public servant and a Prince of Sokoto Caliphate, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji. Late Sardaunan Sokoto was a personality archetype being so extraordinary; it was no surprise everybody that crossed him would pretend they knew him. In fact, in an odd way, they did. They could, even if they just saw him for a few seconds, connect the man with his public persona; so detectable and discernible.
Triple A as fondly called was not a run-of-the-mill persona. He was extraordinary. The peculiarity is decisive when discussing the man widely recognized as one of Nigeria’s finest, famous and influential Prince from the seat of caliphate. To talk about him requires a dissertation. There was so much that he has done. His footprints are literally everywhere in this country. You will also find his legacies in other countries. But to pay tribute to such an extraordinary person calls for more than an extraordinary effort. He was a famed technocrat, financial/development expert and a diplomat which made him a force to be reckoned with. He was highly respected, not only in the professional world, but also amongst the common folk who come in contact with him.
There was always a sense of balance in his decisions and he was a recurrent decimal and a key player in Nigeria’s public financial sector throughout his public service years. His humour projected his self-confidence as well as his “joie de vivre”. He was a great analyst, a determined person, realistic and also a tactician to get things done. Late Abubakar Alhaji was sought out by many who desired to benefit from his wealth of knowledge where he was a servant to the Nigerian Government. He was, in the reckoning of many, a powerful figure in Nigeria’s and global contemporary political history.
Alhaji (Sir) Abubakar Alhaji was such a man propelled into fame by a sequence of unpredictable events with an impact so profound that can rightly be considered providential. Unassuming and without guile, never having aspired to national office, he was not consumed by driving aspiration. The Sardauna of Sokoto wasendowed with the virtues of the full blooded Prince: sincerity, positive, serenity, persona and integrity. He was not a man of many maudlin and egotistical words, he always speaks of substantive matters. He was a model in the public service, ranking in the memory of those that witness their generations who have devoted their lives to the ideals of the country.
He was a parker technocrat with dispositions that enabled him stand for his country without losing sight of the larger interests of the nation. Unlike so many of his contemporaries, he knew that simplicity and concentration produce lucidity and decision. Thus, he devoted most of his public life to the great struggles of the economic and nations development. Among his notable deeds under his leadership was strengthening supervision of banks, private sector participation (liberalization) of the economy and establishment of regulatory agencies. An avid disciplinarian, Sardauna of Sokoto had the admirable quality of leadership to organize people to achieve difficult goals with consummate ease. He left his distinct footprints wherever he worked during the course of his long professional career in Nigeria and other organizations including the World Bank and IMF where he was its Consultant. He was involved in managing Nigeria’s relationship with its external creditors and on the Nigerian negotiating team for “Lome II Agreement” and signing on behalf of Nigeria’s IMF loan request from the Republic of Ireland in 1974.
Alhaji (Sir) Abubakar Alhaji will be remembered for his courage and conviction to swim against conventional thoughts, especially on complex economic phenomena. He never hesitated to candidly express his thoughts in his own inimitable ways—without caring for their bitter fallouts. Above all, he was universally acclaimed as a straightforward and honest man. Perhaps this was Alhaji Alhaji’s few roles in his era for the betterment of Nigeria. Of that, there is no doubt. That personality has made him to remain one of the few remaining respected and towering figures in Nigeria until his demise.
Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji was born to the family of Alhaji Muhammad Sani Ibn Khaliru Barau Ibn Abdullahi Barau Ibn Muhammadu Buhari Ibn Shehu Usmanu Danfodiyo in Sokoto State on 22th November 1932. His first contact with learning was the compulsory Islamic education and later enrolled into Barau Primary School Dogon-Daji. He was at Government Provincial College Kano briefly and later to famous Katsina College where he completed his secondary education. Upon completion, he left to the Bournemouth College of Commerce, United Kingdom. In 1961, he gained admission to University of Reading where he graduated with BSc Degree in Political Economy in 1964.
An able economist, he joined Federal Ministry of Finance in 1964 as an Assistant Secretary (External Finance) under late Chief Festus Okotie-Oboh, the then Nigeria Minister of Finance. In 1965, he left to IMF Institute Washington DC for a course in Public Finance and upon his return; he was promoted to the position of Exchange Control Officer at the same ministry. In a quest for additional know-how, he left to attend Hague Institute for Social Sciences, for a course on Industrialization. From 1969 to 1996, Sir Abubakar Alhaji served in the following capacities; Under Secretary; federal Ministry of Finance, Director of External Finance, Deputy Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Finance, federal Permanent Secretary in the following Ministries; Trade, Industries, Finance, National Planning, Special Assistant to the President and Minister of State (Budget & Planning), Minister of Budget and Planning, Minister of Finance and Economic Development and Nigeria High Commissioner to United Kingdom. He did try very hard to encourage economic debate within the federal ministry of Finance, and much of the work that informed Nigeria’s Budget from 1979-1992 was done under his watch and with his active leadership.
He served as a Board Chairman in the following agencies; Tourist Company of Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria Hotels Ltd, Durbar Hotels Ltd, Price Control Board, Price Intelligence Agency, Nigeria Produce Marketing Agency, Ajaokuta Steel Company Ltd, Delta Steel Company Ltd, Iwopin Paper Mills Ltd, Ashaka Cement, Benue Cement, Savannah Sugar, Sapele Salt Company, Nigerian Security Printing Minting Company (NSPMC), Technical Committee on Producer’s Price, G.24 Committee of World Bank, G.24 Committee of IMF and served as a member in the following committees; Board of NEPA, Council of Ministers, Security Advisory Council, Economic Finance Committee, Transition Committee, General Purpose Committee, NNPC Board, NITEL Board, IMF/World Bank Task Force on Multilateral Development Banks, OAU Group of Ambassadors, Interim Committee of IMF, National Boundary Commission, Nigerian Tariff Commission, Presidential Committee on Mineral Producing Areas, Advisory committee on Global Coalition for Africa, Joint Committee on Remuneration of Executive Directors and their alternatives at IMF/World Bank and Advisory Committee on third world debt under Non-Aligned Movement.
Late Sir Abubakar also served as the Governor for OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), Governor for Nigeria (World Bank), Governor (IDEF) Dakar, Governor for Nigeria (AFDB), Alternative Executive Director, AFDB, Executive Director, Multilateral Investment Agency (MIGA), an affiliate of Word Bank, Vice President, Nigeria Economic Society, President, Nigeria National Union, UK, Vice President of Nigeria-Britain Association and was a Consultant to International Monetary Fund (IMF) assigned to African Department and the IMF Institute.
He led Nigeria economic and trade delegation to IMF, World Bank, IDB, AFDB and many countries of Europe, Asia, North America, Africa and Middle-East. Even while on retirement from public service, he was appointed jointly by the Governor’s of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara in 1999 as their Honourary Economic Adviser, a position he held until May 2015 on his voluntary resignation. In 1974, his Uncle, the Late 17thSultan of Sokoto, Sir Abubakar III conferred on him the title of Sarkin Shanun Sokoto and in 1991, he was further elevated to the title of Sardaunan Sokoto by his Uncle and his father in-law, the late 18th Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki of blessed memory. At the community level, he was the Special Adviser, Gamji Old Members Association (GOMA) 1988 and Patron of Sokoto Emirate Development Association. Alhaji Alhaji was conferred as a Knight of British Empire (KBE) in and a Spanish Knighthood in 1989, Commander of Order of Niger (CON) 1992 and was awarded with a Honourary Doctorate Degree of Science by Usmanu Danfodiyo University in 1991.
On 9th April 1990, African Concord Magazine ran a special edition on him titled “The Prince with the Power in his Pocket”, even with the power in his pocket then, Alhaji Alhaji never abused the privilege nor use the influence of the offices he occupied for self enrichment or endorsing illegalities in contrast to what we have been witnessing with elected, appointed and career civil servants in our Nigeria of today. He lived a descent life while in office and was the life he has been living for past three decades in retirement until his demise last week. To him holding public office is a service to the humanity and nation, not an entitlement. A contemplative man by nature, he took his family, humanity, community, State, Country and Religion to the heart of his existence. He was the type that doesn’t fancy limelight; print media and ducking from cameras to avoid fame.
He was a stickler to his job; he refused distraction during his days in office because without any doubt his heart laid in the field of economic development of the country. His was a meritorious service to the country not a self enrichment journey. Triple “A” left the public service with no qualms, no second-guessing, and no obsessive chase of his place in history. All those that worked and came across him will bear witness that the Sardauna of Sokoto has paid his dues in his quest to renew our country and restore hope to it. As we look back to remember this awe-inspiring persona that gave this country institutions we are proud of today, a sense of ethics, patriotism and a deep sense of objective thinking attributes still traceable will be remember because he led by example and left behind a profound legacy of hard work and honesty – Traits that Nigerians today needs most.
He was blessed with one wife Hajiya Amina Abubakar (nee Ibrahim Dasuki) and 6 children; three females and three males with thirteen Grandchildren. Among his Children is Hajiya Aisha Abubakar one of the respected female technocrats in the Northern Nigeriaand the former Minister of State (Industry, Trade and Investment), Alhaji Aminu Abubakar Alhaji; a businessman and a Polo enthusiast. May Allah forgive Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji’s shortcomings and reward him with unconditional Aljannah Firdausi.
Mr Muye wrote from Abuja+2348036616767
