By Muhammad Bello Sani
Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un.
The death of Malam Sani Shawai of Dawakin Tofa is not merely the passing of an individual. It is the closing of a remarkable chapter in the life of a man who dedicated many decades to education, public service, community development, politics and the advancement of agriculture in Kano State.
His departure has created a deep vacuum in his family, among his friends and associates, and in the wider community that benefited from his wisdom, experience and commitment to public service. Yet, while death has taken him from our midst, it cannot erase the footprints he left behind.
Malam Sani Shawai lived a long and purposeful life. He was a product of a generation in which education was regarded not merely as a means of securing employment, but as a responsibility to society. He pursued learning with determination, served government with dedication, entered politics with experience gained from years of public service, and ultimately occupied a significant leadership position in Kano State’s agricultural and rural development sector.
EARLY LIFE AND THE MAKING OF A MAN
Malam Sani Shawai was born in Dawakin Tofa, Kano State, into a family and community whose values were deeply rooted in discipline, hard work, respect, faith and service.
His early years were spent in Dawakin Tofa, where he received the foundation of his upbringing. Like many men of his generation, his journey began at a time when educational opportunities were considerably more limited than they are today.
He attended primary school and subsequently proceeded to the Teachers’ Training School in Wudil. That stage of his education was particularly important because teacher training was then one of the principal avenues through which young Nigerians acquired professional education and entered the service of their communities.
The teaching profession shaped much of his outlook on life. It taught him patience, discipline, responsibility and, above all, the importance of investing in people.
A LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION
For Malam Sani Shawai, education did not end with the classroom or with the acquisition of a teaching qualification.
He continued to pursue knowledge throughout his life. His educational journey took him through several institutions of higher learning and professional development, including the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, and further academic and professional programmes in the United States of America.
These experiences exposed him to different educational systems, ideas and approaches to public administration, development and human capacity building.
His willingness to continue learning was one of the defining characteristics of his personality. He belonged to a generation of Nigerians who understood that leadership without knowledge was inadequate. His pursuit of education, even after entering public service, reflected his belief that a person should continue to learn, develop and acquire new perspectives throughout life.
THE EDUCATIONIST
After completing his training, Malam Sani Shawai embarked upon a career in education and public service.
As an educationist, he became part of the generation that contributed to the expansion of education in Northern Nigeria at a critical period in the country’s development.
Teaching was not simply a profession for him. It was a form of service.
He understood that the real product of a teacher was not a certificate, but a human being whose life could be transformed through knowledge, discipline and guidance.
Over the years, he served in the civil service and rose through positions of responsibility. His career demonstrated the qualities that colleagues and associates came to associate with him: seriousness, discipline, commitment to duty and an appreciation of the importance of institutions.
His experience as an educationist also gave him an understanding of rural communities and the challenges faced by ordinary people—particularly farmers and families whose livelihoods depended on the land.
FROM CIVIL SERVICE TO POLITICS
Malam Sani Shawai’s transition from the civil service into politics was not a departure from public service. Rather, it was another avenue through which he sought to contribute to society.
His years in government had given him an understanding of public administration, institutions and the challenges of development. Politics therefore provided him with an opportunity to participate more directly in decision-making and public affairs.
He approached political life with the experience of a public servant and the perspective of an educationist.
For him, politics was connected to governance and development. His interest in public affairs was particularly significant because he understood that policies made in government eventually affect ordinary people—in their schools, farms, communities, businesses and homes.
LEADERSHIP AT KANO AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
One of the significant chapters of Malam Sani Shawai’s public career was his appointment as Managing Director of the Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Authority.
The position placed him at the centre of one of the most important sectors of Kano State’s economy.
Agriculture has historically been central to the economic and social life of Kano and its surrounding communities. The sector provides food, employment, income and livelihoods for thousands of families.
As Managing Director, he brought to the position his background in education, his experience in the civil service and his understanding of rural communities.
His responsibility was not simply administrative. Agricultural and rural development required engagement with farmers, communities, extension services, government institutions and development initiatives.
His tenure therefore formed part of his broader contribution to the development of rural Kano.
A MAN WHO VALUED PEOPLE
Beyond official titles and positions, however, the true measure of Malam Sani Shawai’s life can be found in the people he touched.
He was a father, husband, relative, mentor, colleague, friend and community leader.
To his children, he was first and foremost a father.
The greatest inheritance he sought to leave them was not merely material. It was the values of education, hard work, honesty, discipline, responsibility and service.
He understood that children are the continuation of a person’s story. Consequently, he invested in their upbringing and education and encouraged them to pursue knowledge and responsible lives.
His family therefore remains one of the most important parts of his legacy.
HIS FAMILY AND CHILDREN
Malam Sani Shawai leaves behind three wives, children, grandchildren, extended family members and a large network of relatives and friends.
For them, his death represents a personal loss that words can hardly adequately describe.
A father’s departure creates a vacuum that cannot easily be filled. His children have lost not only a parent, but also a source of advice, history, wisdom and guidance.
But they can take comfort in knowing that their father lived a life that gave them something far greater than memories of material possessions.
He left them a name associated with education and public service, a family history built around perseverance, and an example of a man who continued to learn and serve throughout his life.
The responsibility now falls upon his children and grandchildren to preserve the good values he demonstrated and to pass them on to future generations.
THE LEGACY OF EDUCATION
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of Malam Sani Shawai’s legacy is education.
From his early training as a teacher to his subsequent studies at Nigerian and international institutions, education remained a recurring theme throughout his life.
His journey demonstrates an important lesson: education is a lifelong journey, not a destination.
He began his educational journey in Dawakin Tofa, proceeded to teacher training in Wudil, continued through institutions such as the University of Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and expanded his exposure internationally through studies and programmes at the University of Birmingham and in the United States.
That journey from a local community to internationally exposed education and public service represents a story of determination and intellectual curiosity.
SERVICE TO SOCIETY
Malam Sani Shawai belonged to a generation that understood the meaning of public service.
Government service, in his view, carried responsibilities beyond the individual occupying an office. It required commitment to the public good.
His journey from education into the civil service, and later into politics and agricultural leadership, illustrates a life spent moving from one form of service to another.
He served through the classroom.
He served through the civil service.
He served through politics.
He served through agricultural and rural development.
And he served through his family and community.
THE HUMAN BEING BEHIND THE TITLES
It is easy, after a person’s death, to remember only his positions: educationist, civil servant, politician or Managing Director.
But behind all these titles was a human being.
A man who had dreams.
A man who had hopes for his children.
A man who experienced the successes and challenges of life.
A man who made friends, built relationships and influenced people.
A man who, like every human being, had strengths and shortcomings.
And ultimately, a man who returned to his Creator after completing his earthly journey.
That is perhaps the most important reminder that his death gives to all of us.
A LEGACY THAT SHOULD BE PRESERVED
The passing of Malam Sani Shawai should also inspire those he left behind to preserve the history of his generation.
His life tells the story of a period when education, teaching and public service provided pathways for individuals from communities such as Dawakin Tofa to rise into positions of wider responsibility.
His experiences—from the classroom to higher education, from the civil service to politics, and from politics to agricultural and rural development leadership—represent a valuable part of the history of Kano State.
His children and grandchildren should therefore preserve his documents, photographs, certificates, correspondence and memories wherever possible.
Such materials are not merely family possessions. They form part of the history of a man who contributed to the development of his community and state.
THE FINAL JOURNEY
Now, the journey has come to an end.
The offices have been left behind.
The political titles have become history.
The certificates and degrees have completed their purpose.
The responsibilities of public office have been handed over to others.
What remains are deeds, memories, relationships and the people whose lives he influenced.
And ultimately, what remains before Allah are the deeds with which every human being meets his Creator.
We therefore pray that Allah, in His infinite mercy, forgives Malam Alhaji Sani Shawai’s shortcomings, accepts his good deeds, rewards his years of service to humanity, and grants him eternal rest.
May Allah illuminate and widen his grave.
May He make it a garden from the gardens of Jannatul Firdaus.
May Allah give his three wives, children, grandchildren, relatives, friends and all those who mourn him the strength and patience to bear his loss.
And may his children continue the good values he instilled in them.
FAREWELL, MALAM SANI SHAWAI
Malam Sani, your earthly journey has ended, but your story does not end with your death.
It continues in your children.
It continues in your grandchildren.
It continues in the students and people you influenced.
It continues in the institutions where you served.
It continues in the agricultural and rural development work to which you devoted part of your public life.
And it continues in the memories of those who knew you.
You came from Dawakin Tofa, travelled through the pathways of education and public service, encountered the wider world, and returned that experience to the service of your people.
You lived, you learned, you served and you raised a family.
Now you have returned to your Creator.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un.
May Allah forgive you.
May Allah have mercy upon you.
May Allah reward you for every good you did.
May Allah forgive your shortcomings.
May He grant you Jannatul Firdaus.
And may those you left behind continue to honour your memory not only with tears, but by living according to the values you spent your life demonstrating.
Rest in peace, Malam Alhaji Sani Shawai of Dawakin Tofa.
Your journey has ended, but your legacy lives on.
