Abdu Gusau

who served as the Garkuwa of Sokoto until his death in 1994. He was the Chief estate engineer for Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1967 to 1972 where he was in charge of estates, which included buildings (both design and construction), the campus road network and the water supply. Gusau also served as a principal engineer with Taylor Woodrow of London where he worked on building London Heathrow's airport terminal.

Gusau was the civil commissioner for the now defunct North western state Nigeria from 1972 to 1975.

Biography

He was born on 15 July 1918 in the town of Gusau in present-day Zamfara state.

Primary education

He attended elementary school at Gusau from 1927 to 1930 and then went on to middle school in Sokoto from 1930 to 1935.

Secondary and higher education

Alhaji Gusau later attended Katsina higher college (later Barewa College, Zaria) from 1935 to 1939. He later matriculated from Yaba higher college for further studies in Lagos from 1946 to 1947.

In 1947, Alhaji Gusau was awarded a scholarship to study at the Acton technical college (now Brunel University) in London, and later on obtained an HND in mechanical engineering from Woolwich Polytechnic (now University of Greenwich; 1948–1951).

Career

Alhaji Gusau began his career in the Nigerian Civil Service when he joined the Sokoto local authority works department as a Junior technical staff in November 1939. During his time there, he was promoted and assigned as the "wakilin ayukka" officer in charge of construction at the Gusau aerodrome. Upon his return from studying in the UK in 1951, Alhaji Gusau rejoined the Sokoto local authority works department briefly, after which he moved on to work for Taylor Woodrow Construction. He was part of a team of engineers that constructed London Heathrow's airport terminal in 1953. In 1955, he was made resident engineer of Sokoto local authority works where he was responsible for all buildings and roads in the emirate. He was the Chief estate engineer of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1967 to 1972 where he was in charge of estates, which included buildings (both design and construction), the campus road network and water supply; in 1972 he was appointed the civil commissioner for the North western state overseeing all civil works in the region.

Alhaji Gusau also served as a member of many boards:

+ Boards that Gusau served/chaired. Board title Date Northern regional board of education, Kaduna Member 1958–1966 North Western state public service commission Member 1968–1972 Central bank of Nigeria Director 1961–1972 The Antiques Commission Member 1961–1966 The Morgan commission on salaries and wages review Member 1962–1964 Northern Nigeria investment Limited Director 1972–1978 Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto Director of works, Adviser on Physical planning 1976–1978 Cement company of Northern Nigeria, Sokoto Chairman 1978–1984 Board of Directors, Sokoto polytechnic Member 1984–1986Messr Engineering, and consulting associates, Kano Director 1984–1986 Messr Micheletti and sons construction co. Enugu Director 1984–1986 Messr Jos Housen and Sohne water co. Director 1984–1986 Sokoto state rural electricity board Chairman 1987–1994 University of Ilorin Pro chancellor and Chairman 1987–1994

Awards and honors

Alhaji Gusau was awarded 'the most excellent order of the British Empire' (MBE) award by Queen Elizabeth II in 1959 (conferred to him in 1961), and an Order of the Niger (OON) award in 1964. He was turbaned the 'Garkuwan sokoto' on the 18th of march, 1973 by the Sultan of Sokoto.

Relationship with Sardauna Ahmadu Bello Sir Ahmadu Bello was appointed teacher at Sokoto middle school upon completion of Katsina college. Gusau was amongst many of his students whom he mentored, and maintained close ties with for the remainder of his life. They became even closer during Sardauna's time at Gusau where he helped him get a scholarship to study at the Woolwich Polytechnic in 1947. Upon his return to Sokoto after his engagement with Taylor Woodrow, Abdu Gusau was urged by the Sardauna to stay in Sokoto, and help oversee its urgent development rather than join him in Kaduna (Bello was minister of works then).

Personal life and death Gusau was a conservative Sunni Muslim and was married to three wives. He was survived by 26 children and many grandchildren. He died on 4 November 1994 at the age of 76 in Ilorin, Kwara State Nigeria.

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