Sani Bello is a Nigerian

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...

 businessman and retired Nigerian Army

Military of Nigeria

The Nigerian Armed Forces are the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The military has active duty personnel in three armed services, totaling approximately 85,000 troops and 82,000 paramilitary personnel. Its origins lie in the elements of the Royal West African Frontier Force that...

 colonel

Colonel

Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

.

Early life and education

Sani Bello was born in 1942 at Kontagora

Kontagora

Kontagora is a major town on the south bank of the Kontagora River in north-west Niger State, Nigeria. It is the capital city of the Kontagora Emirate....

, Niger State

Niger State

Niger State is a state in the western part of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. The state capital is Minna, and other major cities are Bida, Kontagora, and Suleja. It was formed in 1976 when the then North-Western State was bifurcated into Niger State and Sokoto State.The state is named...

, 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...

. He attended Kontagora Primary School in 1950 and Bida Government College in 1957, before joining the Nigerian Army as a Cadet

Cadet

A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...

 in December 1962. He attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...

 in England and graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant

Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...

 in July 1965.

Career

Following commission

Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...

 he returned to Nigeria and was posted to 1st Battalion, Nigerian Army Enugu

Enugu

Enugu is the capital of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in the southeastern area of Nigeria and is largely populated by members of the Igbo ethnic group. The city has a population of 722,664 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Enu Ugwu...

 as a Platoon Commander

Platoon

A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...

. He held various posts in the Army as he progressed in ranks, including ADC to the Supreme Commander

Supreme Commander

Supreme Commander may refer to:* Commander-in-chief, a military rank**Supreme Allied Commander, title held by the most senior commander within certain multinational military alliances...

 (Nigeria’s first military head of state) Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi

Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi

Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi was a Nigerian soldier. He served as the Head of State of Nigeria from January 16, 1966 until he was overthrown and killed on July 29, 1966 by a group of northern army officers who revolted against the government.- Early life :Thomas Umunnakwe...

, Company Commander, Assistant Quarter Master General

Quartermaster general

A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...

 of 3rd marine Commando

Commando

In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...

 Division of Nigerian Army, Deputy Adjutant General of the Army and the 1st Nigerian Principal Staff officer at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji

Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji

The Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji is a training facility for the Nigerian Armed Forces, including the army, air force and navy. It is near the village of Jaji, Nigeria, about 35 km northeast of Kaduna in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria.-History:The Army...

, a post he held until he retired in August 1979. He was also a Military Governor of the old Kano State

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...

 from 1975 – 1978.

After retirement in 1979, Colonel Bello held various part time appointments as chairman of Niger State Green Revolution, Niger State NYSC, Niger State Polytechnic and Niger State Science and Technical School Board. He also served as Nigerian High Commissioner

High Commissioner

High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...

 (Ambassador) to Zimbabwe from 1984- 1986.

On his return home from Zimbabwe Bello became involved with various companies as chairman or director, including Former Broadbank Nigeria Ltd, Globe Re Nigeria Ltd, Law Union and Rock Insurance Company Plc

Skye Bank

Skye Bank Plc., commonly known as Skye Bank, is a commercial bank based in Nigeria. It is one of the twenty-six commercial banks licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the country's banking regulator.-Overview:...

, Amni International Petroleum Development Company Ltd, Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company Ltd, MTN Communications Ltd, Equatel Communication Ltd and the President of National Association of Indigenous Petroleum Explorers in Nigeria. He is also a farmer and Proprietor of Mustafa

Mustafa

Mustafa is the primary transliteration of the Arabic given name, . The name is an epithet of Muhammad that means, Chosen One. It is a very common male given name, throughout the Muslim world.-Mostafa:...

 Comprehensive School, Kontagora

Kontagora

Kontagora is a major town on the south bank of the Kontagora River in north-west Niger State, Nigeria. It is the capital city of the Kontagora Emirate....

.

He is a passionate lover of sports, especially table tennis in which he once served as the Chairman of Nigerian Table Tennis Federation and led the national team to the Commonwealth

Commonwealth

Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...

and World Championships in 1983.