Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and the Sardaunan Sokoto, was laid to rest on Thursday at the Hubbare Royal Cemetery in Sokoto. His interment followed traditional Islamic funeral rites, with the prayers conducted by Sheikh Bello-Akwara, the Chief Imam of the Sultan Bello Juma’at Mosque.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima attended the ceremony as a representative of President Bola Tinubu. Other high-ranking officials in attendance included Minister of Labour and Employment Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Senator Atiku Bagudu, and Sokoto State Deputy Governor Alhaji Idris Gobir, who stood in for Governor Ahmed Aliyu. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, and Speaker Tukur Bala Bodinga were also present to pay their respects.
Following the service, Vice-President Shettima met with the Sultan and the bereaved family to extend his condolences. The late elder statesman passed away on Thursday at Nizamiye Hospital in Abuja, marking the conclusion of a long and notable career. Throughout his life, Alhaji served as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and Finance Minister from 1985 to 1986. A dedicated civil servant who rose to the position of Permanent Secretary, he is remembered as a prominent technocrat who significantly influenced Nigeria’s economic policy and international financial relations during a formative era in the nation’s history.
