Audu Bako
Encyclopedia
Police Commissioner Audu Bako (born 1924) was the first Administrator of Kano State
, Nigeria
during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon
after the state was formed from part of Northern Region
.
He was widely respected for his moral integrity and for the tangible achievements of his administration.
police barracks.
His father had served in the police force for 36 years and was chief of the Sabon Gari
(non-Hausa people
) in Kaduna.
He was educated to the Kaduna Government School and the Zaria Middle School.
Bako joined the police force in 1942, became an instructor in police law at the Kaduna Police College, and then was appointed deputy commissioner of police in charge of all Native Authority police in the former Northern Region
.
He sought to improve professionalism among local government employees while transferring some responsibilities to the State government.
He said the reforms would strengthen the position of the Emirs in their traditional role as religious leaders.
Bako built most of modern Kano
's landmark structures. The state government secretariat and the Audu Bako School of Agriculture
in Dambatta
were named after him.
Baku was a strong supporter of women's education.
Using the teachings of the Shehu as justification, Bako established primary, secondary and teachers training colleges for women and children.
He produced the first plan for developing and promoting tourism in the state in 1967.
He established the Trade and Industry Division under the Ministry of Finance in 1968.
In 1969 Bako started construction of the Bagauda Dam to supply the Kadawa Irrigation Project, precursor to the Kano Irrigation Project. Between 1970 and 1973 his administration built the much larger Tiga Dam
, aiming to boost agricultural production through irrigation.
He has been called the father of Kano's green revolution.
However, although well-intentioned the dams caused considerable problems in the downstream Hadejia-Nguru wetlands
, and turned out to have negative net economic value.
His Tomas Danbatta Water Supply Scheme was later abandoned, only to be rehabilitated in 2008 and used to provide drinking water to communities in Dambatta
, Makoda
and Minjibir
local government areas.
. He died in 1980 leaving a widow and eleven children.
After his death, the Tiga dam was renamed the Audu Bako dam.
The Audu Bako prize is awarded each year to the winner of the Kano International Polo Tournament.
Bako was widely respected, and was considered an example of moral integrity.
Kano State
Kano State is a state located in North-Western Nigeria. Created on May 27, 1967 from part of the Northern Region, Kano state borders Katsina State to the north-west, Jigawa State to the north-east, Bauchi State to the south-east and Kaduna State to the south-west...
, 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...
during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon
Yakubu Gowon
General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon was the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. He took power after one military coup d'etat and was overthrown in another...
after the state was formed from part of Northern Region
Northern Region, Nigeria
The Northern Region was one of Nigeria's federal divisions. It was created before independence in 1960, with its capital at Kaduna. In 1962 it acquired the territory of the British Northern Cameroons, who had voted to become part of Nigeria....
.
He was widely respected for his moral integrity and for the tangible achievements of his administration.
Background
Audo Bako was born in 1924 at the KadunaKaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
police barracks.
His father had served in the police force for 36 years and was chief of the Sabon Gari
Sabon Gari
A Sabon Gari is a section of cities and town in Northern Nigeria and south central Niger whose residents are not indigenous to Hausa lands.-History:...
(non-Hausa people
Hausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
) in Kaduna.
He was educated to the Kaduna Government School and the Zaria Middle School.
Bako joined the police force in 1942, became an instructor in police law at the Kaduna Police College, and then was appointed deputy commissioner of police in charge of all Native Authority police in the former Northern Region
Northern Region, Nigeria
The Northern Region was one of Nigeria's federal divisions. It was created before independence in 1960, with its capital at Kaduna. In 1962 it acquired the territory of the British Northern Cameroons, who had voted to become part of Nigeria....
.
Kano State Governor
Appointed military governor of the old Kano State in May 1967, Bako undertook reforms of the local governments which had been dominated by the traditional emirs.He sought to improve professionalism among local government employees while transferring some responsibilities to the State government.
He said the reforms would strengthen the position of the Emirs in their traditional role as religious leaders.
Bako built most of modern Kano
Kano
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...
's landmark structures. The state government secretariat and the Audu Bako School of Agriculture
Audu Bako School of Agriculture
The Audu Bako School of Agriculture in Dambatta, Kano State, Nigeria awards diplomas in technical and vocational subjects for middle-level manpower. As of 2005 the college had 400 students....
in Dambatta
Dambatta
Dambatta is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Dambatta in the west of the area on the A2 highway.It has an area of 732 km² and a population of 207,968 at the 2006 census....
were named after him.
Baku was a strong supporter of women's education.
Using the teachings of the Shehu as justification, Bako established primary, secondary and teachers training colleges for women and children.
He produced the first plan for developing and promoting tourism in the state in 1967.
He established the Trade and Industry Division under the Ministry of Finance in 1968.
In 1969 Bako started construction of the Bagauda Dam to supply the Kadawa Irrigation Project, precursor to the Kano Irrigation Project. Between 1970 and 1973 his administration built the much larger Tiga Dam
Tiga Dam
The Tiga Dam is in Kano State in the Northeast of Nigeria, constructed in 1971-1974. It is a major reservoir on the Kano River, the main tributary of the Hadejia River. Water from the dam supplies the Kano River Irrigation Project as well as Kano City...
, aiming to boost agricultural production through irrigation.
He has been called the father of Kano's green revolution.
However, although well-intentioned the dams caused considerable problems in the downstream Hadejia-Nguru wetlands
Hadejia-Nguru wetlands
thumb|right|300px|[[Yobe River]] catchment area showing location of the Hadejia-Nguru wetlandsThe Hadejia-Nguru wetlands in Yobe State in northern Nigeria, which include Nguru Lake, are ecologically and economically important...
, and turned out to have negative net economic value.
His Tomas Danbatta Water Supply Scheme was later abandoned, only to be rehabilitated in 2008 and used to provide drinking water to communities in Dambatta
Dambatta
Dambatta is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Dambatta in the west of the area on the A2 highway.It has an area of 732 km² and a population of 207,968 at the 2006 census....
, Makoda
Makoda
Makoda is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Koguna.It has an area of 441 km² and a population of 222,399 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 702....
and Minjibir
Minjibir
Minjibir is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Minjibir, about 20 km northeast of the state capital Kano.It has an area of 416 km² and a population of 213,794 at the 2006 census....
local government areas.
Later life
Bako retired in 1975 after the coup that brought General Murtala Muhammed to power, and began farming in Sokoto StateSokoto State
Sokoto State is located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2005 it has an estimated population of more than 4.2 million...
. He died in 1980 leaving a widow and eleven children.
After his death, the Tiga dam was renamed the Audu Bako dam.
The Audu Bako prize is awarded each year to the winner of the Kano International Polo Tournament.
Bako was widely respected, and was considered an example of moral integrity.