Professor Jibril Aminu, a seasoned statesman and one of Nigeria’s most accomplished public figures, has died at the age of 85. The late professor reportedly passed on in Abuja on Thursday following a lengthy battle with illness.
Final rites are expected to take place at the Abuja National Mosque by 2:00 p.m. today, after which his body will be flown to Yola and then to his hometown in Song Local Government Area of Adamawa State for interment.
Aminu’s remarkable journey spanned several fields medicine, diplomacy, and governance. He graduated top of his class in Medicine from the University College Hospital, Ibadan, in 1965, and later earned a PhD from the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London in 1972.
His service to the nation was equally distinguished. He held the position of Minister of Education before being appointed Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources from 1989 to 1992. During his time in the oil sector, he chaired both the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation and the OPEC Conference.
He later served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States (1999–2003) and represented Adamawa Central in the Senate from 2003 to 2011. In the mid-90s, he was also a key participant in the National Constitutional Conference.
Professor Aminu’s multifaceted career earned him a lasting reputation for excellence, leadership, and patriotism. His passing marks the end of an era in Nigeria’s political and academic landscape.
