Those wishing to destroy Kano will never succeed — Emir Sanusi

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has declared that no individual or group plotting to destroy the historical achievements and legacy of Kano will ever succeed.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday during the public presentation of two books authored by Dr. Munzali Dantata — Behind the City Wall and Aminu Dantata: Life and Times of a Nigerian Entrepreneur — the monarch said Kano’s greatness was rooted in a long-standing culture of excellence, resilience, scholarship, and enterprise.

“We are here to celebrate a family, but more importantly, we are here to celebrate Kano — a city that produced the Dantata family and has given birth to two of the richest men in Africa,” the emir said.

“Kano has always been built on a culture of excellence, determination, and the desire to be the best — whether in religion, scholarship, intellectual discourse, commerce, or trade. And I have said it before: for all those who think they can bring down Kano, you are wasting your time. It will never happen.”

Mr Sanusi underscored the need for Nigerians, particularly from Northern Nigeria, to take ownership of their history by documenting their stories and achievements.

“We must tell our own stories,” he stressed. “If we do not write our history, others will write it for us — and they will not tell it the way it should be told. Writing and preserving history are vital for our national identity.

“The story of Kano’s greatness cannot be complete without acknowledging the contributions of its legendary business families like the Dantatas.”

He recalled his earlier conversation with the author, noting that he immediately endorsed the idea of documenting the lives and impact of Kano’s industrialists and entrepreneurs.

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“When Munzali came to me about these books, I told him that we must write our own story. Winston Churchill once said, ‘History will be kind to us because we intend to write it.’ Works like these may appear as biographies, but through them, we see the story of an entire society,” he said.

Representing Governor Abba Yusuf, the Kano State Commissioner for Information, alongside the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Investment, Adamu Aliyu Kibiya, commended Dr. Dantata for his literary efforts.

“The two books before us — Behind the City Wall and Aminu Dantata: Life and Times of a Nigerian Entrepreneur — are modern literary works that serve as records of memory, identity, and heritage,” the governor’s representative said.

“They reaffirm Kano’s status as a hub of commerce and culture, reminding us that for centuries, this city has been a centre of trade, scholarship, and creativity — shaping not only the destiny of our state but also that of Nigeria and Africa.”

He also paid tribute to the late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, describing him as one of Nigeria’s most visionary entrepreneurs, industrialists, politicians, and philanthropists whose life epitomised discipline, foresight, and generosity.

In his remarks, the author, Dr. Munzali Dantata, described the two books as a blend of personal and collective histories that mirror the enduring spirit of Kano — one defined by enterprise, perseverance, and innovation.

“My two books are twin stories of a people and a man bound by one idea: that progress begins with enterprise,” he said.

“The Kano philosophy, born of a simple truth, teaches that the prosperity of a people is inseparable from the enterprise of its citizens.”

The event also featured a review of the books by Professor Munzali Jibril, while former Senate President Bukola Saraki served as the chief launcher.