OBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(1903 – 1979)Who's Who in Nigeria, 1956, pg. 258 /ref>Reference to the "late emir of Abuia" Sulaimanu Barau /ref> was the 6th
emir
Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...
of
Abuja
Abuja (; , ) is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of the Federal G ...
. Then, the name Abuja implied the name of the
emirate
An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equivalent ...
controlled by the
Hausa
Hausa may refer to:
* Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa
* Hausa language, spoken in West Africa
* Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states
* Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse
See also
...
rulers who had fled
Zazzau
The Kingdom of Zazzau, also known as the Zaria Emirate, is a traditional state with headquarters in the city of Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The current emir of Zazzau is Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli CFR, who succeeded the former emir, late Alhaji Sheh ...
during the
Fulani Jihad
The Jihad of Usman dan Fodio was a religio-military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman dan Fodio, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled from Gobir by King Yunfa, one of his former students.
Us ...
. He was born to the family of Mohammed Gani and attended
Bida
Bida is a Local Government Area in Niger State, Nigeria and a city on the A124 highway which occupies most of the area.
The LGA has an area of and a population of 188,181 at the 2006 census.
The postal code of the area is 912.
Geography
Bida ...
Provincial School. After completing his secondary studies, he proceeded to Katsina Training College for preparatory studies on education and teaching. In 1944, he was appointed emir of Abuja, by the time of his appointment, he was the first western trained emir in Nigeria.
Life
After spending five years at the
Katsina
Katsina State ( ; 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞥁𞤭𞤲𞤢) is a state in the northwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It is bordered to the west by Zamfara State, to the east by Kano and Jigawa states, and to the south by Kaduna St ...
College, he earned his
teaching
Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the of an educational institution. Teaching is closely related ...
certificate
Certificate may refer to:
* Birth certificate
* Marriage certificate
* Death certificate
* Gift certificate
* Certificate of authenticity, a document or seal certifying the authenticity of something
* Certificate of deposit, or CD, a financial p ...
. He then taught at Keffi and Bida from 1927 to 1931. However, he left the teaching profession afterwards when he became the district head of Diko in 1931. From there, he worked at the Abuja
Native Administration
Native may refer to:
People
* '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood
* '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Nati ...
in order to assist Emir Musa, who was reaching old age.
In 1944, he was made emir. As ruler of the emirate of Abuja, he introduced modern
customs
Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...
to replace some of the old traditions of the Habe's. He put to rest a custom that demands subjects kneel down and pour dust on their heads in obeisance to him. He also initiated recordings of some of the remaining Abuja traditions.M. G. Smith, Government in Zazzau, 1800-1950. Oxford University Press, 1960.
As an educated
paramount ruler
{{Use American English, date=December 2018
The term paramount ruler, or sometimes paramount king, is a generic description, though occasionally also used as an actual title, for a number of rulers' position in relative terms, as the summit of a f ...
, more responsibilities were bestowed upon. He was one of the few emirs appointed into the Northern Provinces Board of Education and was a member of the
legislative council
A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...
of
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...