Alhassan Dantata
Encyclopedia
Alhassan Dantata was a northern
Nigeria
n kola nut
trader and the wealthiest man in West Africa
at the time of his death.
. Dantata was born in Bebeji
in 1877, one of several children of Abdullahi and his wife, both of whom were traders and caravan leaders. His father died in Bebeji, and his mother moved to Gonja
, now in northern Ghana
.
Dantata remained in Bebeji in the care of a slave woman named Tata (this is the root of the name "Dantata", which means "son of Tata"), and attended madrasah
(Qur'an
school). Dantata moved to Gonja, where his mother worked, at age fifteen, and studied and worked in Accra
.
and Lagos
. He later diversified his trade into items such as beads and necklaces, and bought a house in the Koki ward of Kano. He married Umma Zaria, and she conducted business for him with women (him not doing it for religious reasons). In 1918, the UK-based Royal Niger Company
searched for an agent to purchase groundnuts for them, and Dantata responded to their offer.
He made a pilgrimage (hajj
) to Mecca
via boat in the early 1920s, and stopped in England
. He also financed the pilgrimages of others.
By 1922 Dantata had become the richest businessman in Kano, surpassing fellow merchants Umaru Sharubutu Koki and Maikano Agogo. In 1929, when the Bank of British West Africa
opened a branch in Kano, Dantata placed 20 camel-loads of silver coins in it. (For religious reasons, his money collected no interest.) He died in Kano on August 17, 1955, having exhorted his children to not let his company, Alhassan Dantata and Sons, be broken up. He was buried in his house in the Sarari ward.
(born 1917), a very successful businessman, Ahmadu (died 1960), a politician, and Aminu (born 1931), a businessman.
Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria is a geographical region of Nigeria. It is more arid and less densely populated than the south. The people are largely Muslim, and many are Hausa...
Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n kola nut
Kola nut
Kola Nut is the nut of the kola tree, a genus of trees native to the tropical rainforests of Africa, classified in the family Malvaceae, subfamily Sterculioideae . It is related to the South American genus Theobroma, or cocoa...
trader and the wealthiest man in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
at the time of his death.
Early life
Dantata's father was Abdullahi, a man from the village of Danshayi, near KanoKano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
. Dantata was born in Bebeji
Bebeji
Bebeji is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Bebeji.It has an area of 717 km² and a population of 188,859 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 711.-Geography:...
in 1877, one of several children of Abdullahi and his wife, both of whom were traders and caravan leaders. His father died in Bebeji, and his mother moved to Gonja
Gonja
This page discusses the Ghanaian kingdom of Gonja; for uses for the word Ganja, see Ganja Gonja was a kingdom in northern Ghana; the word can also refer to the people of this kingdom. The Gonja are a Guan people who have been influenced by both Akan people and Mande people. With the fall of the...
, now in northern Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
Dantata remained in Bebeji in the care of a slave woman named Tata (this is the root of the name "Dantata", which means "son of Tata"), and attended madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
(Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
school). Dantata moved to Gonja, where his mother worked, at age fifteen, and studied and worked in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
.
Career
Dantata later returned to Bebeji, and began using steamships to transport kola nuts between AccraAccra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
and Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. He later diversified his trade into items such as beads and necklaces, and bought a house in the Koki ward of Kano. He married Umma Zaria, and she conducted business for him with women (him not doing it for religious reasons). In 1918, the UK-based Royal Niger Company
Royal Niger Company
The Royal Niger Company was a mercantile company chartered by the British government in the nineteenth century. It formed the basis of the modern state of Nigeria....
searched for an agent to purchase groundnuts for them, and Dantata responded to their offer.
He made a pilgrimage (hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
) to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
via boat in the early 1920s, and stopped in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He also financed the pilgrimages of others.
By 1922 Dantata had become the richest businessman in Kano, surpassing fellow merchants Umaru Sharubutu Koki and Maikano Agogo. In 1929, when the Bank of British West Africa
Bank of British West Africa
Bank of British West Africa was a British Overseas bank that was important in introducing modern banking into the countries that emerged from the UK's West African colonies...
opened a branch in Kano, Dantata placed 20 camel-loads of silver coins in it. (For religious reasons, his money collected no interest.) He died in Kano on August 17, 1955, having exhorted his children to not let his company, Alhassan Dantata and Sons, be broken up. He was buried in his house in the Sarari ward.
Children
Among Dantata's sons were Mamuda (1922-1983), founder of the West African Pilgrims Association and a currency trader, SanusiSanusi Dantata
Sanusi Dantata was a Nigerian entrepreneur and son of Alhassan Dantata.He was also a personal friend of the Qadiriyya scholar, Ali Kumasi and supported some of the latter's religious works in Kano...
(born 1917), a very successful businessman, Ahmadu (died 1960), a politician, and Aminu (born 1931), a businessman.