Remembering Abubakar Rimi

“When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.”
-Unknown author

April 4, 2019 made it nine years after the demise of Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi. Rimi lived a fearless, dogged and courageous life worth emulating. He was a vocal politician who cared and assisted the ordinary citizen (talaka). Rimi fought for the common man; that was why before his death, he was regarded as a political activist and true disciple of late Malam Aminu Kano.

His legacies will remain in the hearts of many. He was elected as governor on the platform of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in 1979 and did a lot that brought about progress in old Kano and present day Jigawa States.

He gave education a special attention and introduced an adult education  programme in Kano in 1980 which later inspired replicas in other northern states under Agency for Mass Education whereby un-educated adults were trained just as equivalent as secondary school leavers.

This programme was recognized in 1983 as one of the best adult education programmes on the African continent by the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Also knowing the importance of the media, Abubakar Rimi established the Kano State television station known as C.T.V (City Television) and the Triumph Publishing Company.

Women were not left out, because he was the first governor to appoint a female commissioner. This gave women a sense of belonging. During the reign of Rimi there were massive road projects as well as in electrification, among others.


Abubakar Rimi remains indivisible on the history of present day Kano and Jigawa States. That is why he was called a truly ‘people’s governor.

Also when he was the chairman of Nigerian Agricultural and Co-operative Bank (NACB) he helped the commoner, small scale and the medium enterprise to boost their business with loans.

Rimi provided many local government areas in the country with new International Direct Dial (IDD) Telecommunication stations when he was the Minister of Communications. My hometown, Kafin-Hausa in Jigawa State was one of the beneficiaries. Rimi also established Science Secondary School in my home town when he was the governor which is today one of the best science schools in the north.

Many of his legacies cannot be mentioned. He was a very close associate of the Jagoran Talakawa, Dr. Sule Lamido, the former Jigawa State governor – the only remaining courageous, committed and fearless disciple of  Malam Aminu Kano who is still in the corridor of politics. He established Jigawa College of Art and Science and later Jigawa State University which is named after him. We are indebted highly to these two NEPU/PRP men.

Adamu Muhd Usman, Kafin-Hausa Jigawa State

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