The Great Men of Kano (3): The story of Kano’s Warren Buffett, by Jaafar Jaafar
The late Alhaji Sani Usman Kago, popularly known as Sani Marshal, was known majorly for his atypical compassion and distinctive philanthropy.
If Buffett is the most successful businessman in the world today, Marshal was the most successful in Kano in the 70s. If Buffet becomes famous for his wealth and philanthropy, Marshal too. Buffett might have borrowed a leaf from Marshal!
Born in Arzai quarters of Kano in 1928, Sani Marshal rose from repairing and hiring bicycles to a real estate magnate and industrialist.
When 15-year-old Sani Marshal attempted to enroll into the army in the early 40’s, his attempt was truncated on the grounds of age. Industrious and good-natured as late Marshal was, he ventured into the bicycle hiring service and later quitted the business and relocated from Kura to Nguru in the present-day Yobe State.
At Nguru, he became a lorry conductor, and when he later owned a Dodge truck, he relocated his freight services to his village.
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His business flourished dramatically despite his immense donation to charity. By mid 50s Sani Marshal had a fleet of trucks transporting goods from Kano to Lagos. He earned “Marshal” sobriquet for his daring business exploits during the Nigerian civil war.
By mid 70’s, Sani Marshal established Kaura Biscuit Factory, and later in 1980, Kaura Macaroni. His tasty varieties like Kaura shortcake and Kaura gems biscuits were some of the reasons we nicked some kobos hidden under the pillows or inside “kwalla”. Yours sincerely was always on top of the world when he spread Peak Condensed Milk in between Kaura shortcake.
As a young man, Sani Marshal’s spectacular cycling skills would make both Kano’s ace bike stuntman, Alhajin Allah Ya Kiyaye and famous German cyclist, Jan Ullrich, green with envy.
Once there was letters or documents available for delivery, late Malam Aminu Kano would ask late Sani Marshal to pick his bicycle and deliver the message to particularly Katsina, or any other place the late NEPU leader wanted the message delivered.
Marshal built dozens of schools, tens mosques and a large Friday mosques in Kura and Kurna Asabe. The mosque and schools complex in Kura were so elaborate that there was once an idea of converting it to an Islamic university.
No individual built the number of schools he built in Kano. His house was a Mecca of sort for the destitute, who thronged in droves (especially during the month of Ramadan) for succor.
Sani Marshal was a cheerful giver, and God loves a cheerful giver.
May Sani Marshal’s kind soul rest in peace.
I got most of the detail from Saka Raji Audu’s 1997 book “Sani Marshal: A Pioneer Industrialist”
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: The story of Kano's Warren Buffett, by Jaafar Jaafar The late Alhaji Sani Usman Kago, popularly known){kind=link}