Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, one of Nigeria’s most influential business magnates and philanthropists, has died at the age of 94. Dantata passed away in the early hours of Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, after a brief illness related to old age, according to family sources.
Born on May 19, 1931, in Kano, Dantata was a scion of the legendary Dantata family, son of Alhaji Alhassan Dantata, one of West Africa’s wealthiest merchants in the early 20th century. He began his career as a produce buyer in the family business, Alhassan Dantata and Sons Limited, and went on to build a vast business empire spanning finance, real estate, petroleum, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and banking. He was the founder of Express Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd and served as a non-executive director of Jaiz Bank Plc.
Dantata also played key roles in public service, serving as a member of the Northern House of Assembly in 1966, a commissioner in the Kano State Government from 1967 to 1973, and as a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee for Nigeria’s 1979 Constitution. He was honored with national awards, including Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), and received honorary degrees from several Nigerian universities.
Renowned for his philanthropy, Dantata invested heavily in education, healthcare, and economic empowerment initiatives, funding the construction of schools, mosques, health centers, and orphanages across Northern Nigeria. He was also a mentor to generations of entrepreneurs and a pillar of support for peace and harmony in Kano and beyond.
Tributes have poured in from across Nigeria, with northern governors and business leaders describing his death as a monumental national loss and the end of a remarkable era. Funeral arrangements (Janazah) will be announced by the family in accordance with Islamic rites.
