President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have paid tribute to elder statesman and businessman, Aminu Alhassan Dantata who died on Saturday at the age of 94.
In a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu described his passing as a national loss, praising Dantata’s role in Nigeria’s economic development and philanthropy, particularly in education and healthcare.
The President recalled his relationship with the late mogul, describing his wise counsel and support as deeply encouraging and beneficial.
Shettima, in his own message, described Dantata as an irreplaceable institution and a living bridge to Nigeria’s past.
He said the businessman’s death marks the end of a chapter in the nation’s history.
“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.
The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.
Dantata, who once served as a commissioner in the old Kano State, built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures.