Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji and Nigeria’s Historical Amnesia
By Mobolaji Sanusi “We live in a society of imposed forgetfulness, a society that depends on public amnesia.”— Angela Yvonne Davis (1944 – present) Sometime last week, news filtered in
Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s political and economic history, has passed away. Born into royalty, Alhaji Alhaji rose through the ranks of the Nigerian Civil Service in the 1960s, eventually becoming a Permanent Secretary in various federal ministries. He served in several high-level positions, including Executive Secretary of the FESTAC ‘77 International Secretariat, Minister of State for Budget and Planning, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, and even as the Sardauna of Sokoto.
His expertise in political economy was gained from various international institutions such as Bournemouth College of Commerce, the University of Reading, the IMF Institute, and the Institute of Social Studies. Alhaji Alhaji’s achievements were widely recognized, yet his name is largely unknown to the younger generation. This lack of knowledge highlights a broader issue of historical amnesia in Nigeria, a country that has failed to instill a sense of history and heritage in its youth.
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