Aminu Kano

**Mallam Aminu Kano GCON: A Biography** **Early Life and Education** Mallam Aminu Kano (born Mohammed Aminu Yusufu) was a Nigerian teacher, scholar, and politician born on August 9, 1920, in the Sudawa ward of Kano (now in Gwale, Kano State). He is often affectionately referred to simply as "Mallam," an honorific title recognizing his scholarly achievement and respect in Northern Nigeria. He attended Kaduna College and later studied at the University of London. Following his university education, he returned to Nigeria and took up a teaching profession. He was once offered, but turned down, a lecturing position in Hausa at Oxford University. Due to political pressure from the British government seeking to disperse radical thinkers, he was transferred to Maru in Sokoto, where he was appointed headmaster of a new teachers’ training college. **Career Progression and Political Activism** Aminu Kano was a dedicated advocate for social justice and the emancipation of the common people, known as the *talakawa*, in Northern Nigeria. His political career was defined by his socialist and populist ideologies. He was a founding figure of the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), serving as its President-General from 1953 to 1966. NEPU's primary goal was the "emancipation of the *talakawa*" through "reform of the present autocratic political institutions." During the pre-independence era, he actively campaigned against feudal systems and advocated for universal suffrage and democracy. **Major Achievements and Notable Roles** Aminu Kano held several significant political positions throughout his career. He served as a Member of Parliament for Kano East from December 1959 to December 1964, a period during which he also held the position of Chief Whip. Following Nigeria’s 1966 military coup and subsequent civil war, he served in the Federal Government, holding the position of Federal Commissioner for Communications from June 12, 1967, to January 13, 1971. Later in his career, he founded and led the People's Redemption Party (PRP), another socialist-leaning political organization dedicated to grassroots activism and social change. He contested the Nigerian presidency under the platform of the PRP in the 1979 general elections. **Legacy and Current Status** Mallam Aminu Kano died on April 17, 1983, at the age of 62, in Kano. His resting place is Mambayya House, which has since been preserved as a historical site. He is widely considered one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria and remains an enduring symbol of social justice, populist politics, and opposition to elitism. He was posthumously awarded the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). In recognition of his enduring legacy, numerous important institutions in Nigeria have been named in his honour, including the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.