The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has urged Nigerians to document their history to prevent others from defining it for them.
He delivered the message at the launch of two books by Dr Munzali Dantata—Behind the City Wall and Aminu Dantata and the Life and Times of a Nigerian Entrepreneur—during an event held in Abuja.
Sanusi said, “We need to write our own story. If we do not write our history, others will write it for us.” He emphasised that the history of Kano cannot be told without acknowledging the business and commercial families whose contributions sustained the city over centuries.
“Biographies like these are not just about individuals, but about the society they helped shape,” he noted.
The Emir also recalled a personal memory involving his late father and the late business icon Alhaji Aminu Dantata, praising Dantata’s generosity and moral character.
“We are here not only to honour a man and his family, but to celebrate Kano—a city built on excellence, commerce, learning and tradition,” he said.
Former Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki, who served as Chief Launcher, commended Munzali Dantata’s intellectual dedication, describing his work as a meaningful contribution to Nigeria’s literary and historical landscape.
In a goodwill message on behalf of Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, Commissioner for Commerce Alhaji Salihu Sagagi called the books “literary archives of memory, identity and heritage,” and paid tribute to the late Alhaji Aminu Dantata as a visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist.
The event was attended by dignitaries, academics, business leaders and members of the public.
