Aminu Kano

Mallam Aminu Kano was born on August 9, 1920, in Kano into an Islamic scholarly family. Educated at Katsina College and the University of London Institute of Education, he initially served as a teacher before resigning from the colonial civil service to dedicate his life to the socio-political emancipation of northern Nigeria's downtrodden peasant and working class, known as the Talakawa.

In 1950, he co-founded the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), advocating radical democratic socialism, universal female suffrage, tax abolition for the impoverished, and equal rights against aristocratic feudalism. In the Second Republic, he founded the People's Redemption Party (PRP), which won gubernatorial seats in Kano and Kaduna. His ascetic humility and fierce integrity made him an immortal folk hero across West Africa.