Suleimanu Barau, OBE (1903 – 1979)Who's Who in Nigeria, 1956, pg. 258 /ref>Reference to the "late emir of Abuia" Sulaimanu Barau /ref> was the 6th
emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...
of
Abuja
Abuja () is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated at the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Plann ...
. Then, the name Abuja implied the name of the
emirate
An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equivalen ...
controlled by the Habes who had fled
Zazzau
The Zazzau, also known as the Zaria Emirate, is a Nigerian traditional state, traditional state with headquarters in the city of Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The current emir of Zazzau is Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli who succeeded the former emir, l ...
during the
Fulani Jihad
The Fulani War of 1804–1808, also known as the Fulani Jihad or Jihad of Usman dan Fodio, was a military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman Dan Fodiyo, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled ...
. He was born to the family of Mohammed Gani and attended
Bida
Bida is a Local Government Area in Niger State, Nigeria and a city on the A124 highway which occupies most of the area.
The LGA has an area of and a population of 188,181 at the 2006 census.
The postal code of the area is 912.
The city
Bida i ...
Provincial School. After completing his secondary studies, he proceeded to Katsina Training College for preparatory studies on education and teaching. In 1944, he was appointed emir of Abuja, by the time of his appointment, he was the first western trained emir in Nigeria.
Life
After spending five years at the
Katsina
Katsina, likely from "Tamashek" eaning son or bloodor mazza enwith "inna" otheris a Local Government Area and the capital city of Katsina State, in northern Nigeria.
College, he earned his
teaching
Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the context of an educational institution. Teaching is closely re ...
certificate. He then taught at Keffi and Bida from 1927 to 1931. However, he left the teaching profession afterwards when he became the district head of Diko in 1931. From there, he worked at the Abuja
Native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
Administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
in order to assist Emir Musa, who was reaching old age.
In 1944, he was made emir. As ruler of the emirate of Abuja, he introduced modern
customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...
to replace some of the old traditions of the Habe's. He put to rest a custom that demands subjects kneel down and pour dust on their heads in obeisance to him. He also initiated recordings of some of the remaining Abuja traditions.M. G. Smith, Government in Zazzau, 1800-1950. Oxford University Press, 1960.
As an educated
paramount ruler
{{Use American English, date=December 2018
The term paramount ruler, or sometimes paramount king, is a generic description, though occasionally also used as an actual title, for a number of rulers' position in relative terms, as the summit of a fe ...
, more responsibilities were bestowed upon. He was one of the few emirs appointed into the Northern Provinces Board of Education and was a member of the legislative council of
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...