Nigeria has lost one of its most distinguished statesmen and academics, Professor Jibrin Aminu, who passed away at the age of 85.
Born in August 1939 in Adamawa State, Northeast Nigeria, Prof. Aminu was a towering figure in Nigerian academia, public service, diplomacy, and politics.
He studied medicine at the University of Ibadan, graduating in 1965, and later earned a Ph.D. in Medicine from the prestigious Royal Postgraduate Medical School in the United Kingdom.
His professional journey began at the University of Ibadan, where he served as a consultant, senior lecturer, and sub-dean of Clinical Studies between 1973 and 1975.
He went on to serve as the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) from 1975 to 1979, where he played a pivotal role in shaping higher education in Nigeria.
Prof. Aminu was a visiting professor of medicine at Howard University College of Medicine, Washington D.C., from 1979 to 1980, and later became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, a position he held from 1980 to 1985. He continued as a Professor of Medicine at the university until 1995.
His foray into public service included key ministerial roles. He served as Nigeria’s Minister of Education from 1989 to 1990, and as Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources from 1990 to 1992, a role in which he oversaw one of the most critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Between 1999 and 2003, Prof. Aminu served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, further strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic ties with the world’s leading superpower.
He later returned to politics and was elected Senator representing Adamawa Central in 2003, a position he retained after re-election in 2007.
In recognition of his contributions to national development, Prof. Aminu was honored with the traditional title of Bobaselu of The Source by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, on January 2, 2010.
A devout Muslim, his death is being mourned across the nation.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un — To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.
Sahel Reporters News
