Sani Bello

Sani Bello (born 27 November 1942) is a Nigerian businessman and retired Nigerian Army colonel and founder of the Sani Bello Foundation.

Sani Bello was born in 1942 at Kontagora, Niger State, the only child of Bello Mustapha and Hajiya Abu. He attended Central Primary School, Kotangora in 1950 and Government College, Bida {Niger State} in 1957, before joining the Nigerian Army in December 1962 as an officer Cadet at the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna. He attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England and graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant in July 1965.

Following commission he returned to Nigeria and was posted to 1st Battalion, Enugu as a Platoon Commander. He then held various posts in the Army as he progressed in ranks, including ADC to Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, Nigeria’s first military head of state. During the Nigerian Civil War, he was a training officer at the 6th Battalion, Ikeja before he was posted to Bonny as the Sector Commander. During the war, Bello was wounded at Bonny and evacuated to Lagos for treatment, in Lagos, he served as a staff officer at the Lagos Garrison division. He was later posted to various commands including serving as Commander of the Oshodi Resettlement Center and Rear Commander of defunct Third Marine Commando division. He was also General Staff Officer and Assistant Quartermaster General of the 3rd Division. From 1971 to 1974, he was Deputy Adjutant General of the Nigerian army before becoming the Commanding Officer of the 81 Battalion, Kaduna. He retired from the Nigerian army as a Principal Staff Officer.

Military Administrator of Kano

Sani Bello was also a Military Governor of the old Kano State from 1975 – 1978. During his tenure, he focused on commerce, rural roads, electrification and primary and secondary education. In 1976, he developed a Science Secondary School Management Board establishing science colleges to train Kano State residents and give them the opportunity to qualify for science courses at the university level also to climb to middle and top level grades in the government. Notable schools established during the period are Dawakin Kudu and Dawakin Tofa Science schools. His administration was also tasked to implement two key Federal programmes: local government reform and universal primary education. Local government reform led to the creation of 20 local government areas in Kano.

Alfa Wali, Balarabe Ismail and Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila served as the scribes to his government.

Business career

After retirement in 1979, Colonel Bello held various part-time appointments as a chairman of Niger State Green Revolution, Niger State NYSC, Niger State Polytechnic and Niger State Science and Technical School Board. He also served as Nigerian High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Zimbabwe from 1984- 1986.

On his return home from Zimbabwe Bello became involved with various companies as chairman or director, including former Broadbank Nigeria Ltd, Globe Re Nigeria Ltd, Law Union and Rock Insurance Company Plc, Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company Ltd, MTN Communications Ltd, Equatel Communication Ltd, President of National Association of Indigenous Petroleum Explorers in Nigeria and Mainstream Energy Solutions ltd Nigera. He is also a farmer and Proprietor of Mustafa Comprehensive School, Kontagora. He is a co-founder of Amni International Petroleum Development Company Ltd that has interest in Ketu and Okoro oilfields.

He is a passionate lover of sports, especially table tennis in which he once served as the Chairman of Nigerian Table Tennis Federation and led the national team to the Commonwealth and World Championships in 1983.