Nigerian Billionaire Aminu Dantata to Be Buried in Saudi Arabia

Prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, is set to be laid to rest in Medina, Saudi Arabia, following his death on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He was 94.

Dantata, a respected patriarch of one of Nigeria’s most influential business families and an uncle to Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, had expressed a personal wish to be buried in the Islamic holy city, revered as the home and final resting place of the Prophet Muhammad.

Saudi authorities have approved the burial, and arrangements are underway to transport his body from the UAE to Saudi Arabia. Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, confirmed that the funeral will take place on Tuesday, with support from both the Nigerian embassy and the late tycoon’s family.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a tribute issued after the news broke, described Dantata’s passing as a “monumental national loss,” praising his lifelong contributions to Nigeria’s development through enterprise, public service, and charitable giving.

Widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s wealthiest and most generous figures, Dantata had business interests spanning agriculture, construction, real estate, and manufacturing. He first rose to prominence in the 1940s through the trade of kola nuts and groundnuts, eventually building on the commercial legacy of his father, Alhassan Dantata – once considered the richest man in West Africa.

Despite his vast fortune, Dantata remained rooted in his humble upbringing, choosing to live in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Kano, the city where he spent nearly his entire life. He was known not only for his business acumen but also for his philanthropy. In 2023, he donated ₦1.5 billion to support victims of severe flooding in Borno State.

He is survived by three wives, 21 children, and 121 grandchildren.

Dantata’s influence extended beyond the boardroom into politics, where many politicians, including President Tinubu, sought his counsel and blessings ahead of elections. A widely shared video from the 2023 campaign showed Tinubu respectfully bowing before him – a testament to his stature and quiet authority.

Educated in Islamic studies before attending a secondary school built by his father in Kano, Dantata once shared in a Trust TV interview that business was introduced to him as early as age five. “Our father would tell us, ‘You see how people bring groundnuts in sacks – you should also know how to start earning money,’” he recalled.

He formally stepped into leadership at age 17, taking over his family’s enterprise in Bichi after the passing of his elder brother, Ahmadu Dantata.

A special prayer session was held in Kano in his honour, and delegations of Nigerian state governors and federal ministers have since travelled to Saudi Arabia to attend his funeral.