By MD Aminu, PhD
Emir Muhammad Sanusi II is the Chairman of Black Rhino Group—a portfolio company of Blackstone, where he was involved in driving development of key power and energy infrastructure projects across the African continent. One of the projects in the company’s pipeline was a 120 MW solar plant to be set up in Kano to kick start the re-industrialization process. Another was a 540 MW thermal plant to be built in the Niger-Delta. These plants were to be built by a JV of Black Rhino and the Dangote Group. Unfortunately, Blackstone pulled out of Black Rhino when they were convinced that the Nigerian government is not really commitment to the power sector reforms.
Emir Sanusi II is the Chairman of Babban Gona—an impact capital firm dedicated to agricultural development and the support for small-scale rural farmers. He is also the Chairman (Nigeria) of the Canada-based NGO—One Million Teachers—with a principal role of enhancing the skills of primary school teachers to improve learning outcomes amongst pupils.
As Emir of Kano, he advocated for key development projects like public health, girl child education, reforms of Muslim family law and the systems of Zakat and Auqaf (endowments). He set up a committee of scholars and academics who produced—for the first time in Nigeria—a draft Muslim Law of Personal Status which addresses difficult questions like the age of marriage, consent, child spacing, domestic violence, maintenance and custody, alimony, child rights and parental responsibility, etc.
Globally, Emir Sanusi II is one of the 17 UN Secretary General appointed advocates for the sustainable development goals in recognition of his active interest in the sustainable development goals. Needless to mention, during the month of Ramadan and the Eid festivals, he had been using tens of millions of naira—of his own money—to assist the poor in Kano State.
In reaction to my tribute on his 60th birthday, someone sent me a WhatsApp message alleging that Emir Sanusi II is double-faced, hypocritical, and mischievous. I believe what that means is that he is not committed to community service. Typically, when those allegations are made, the advocates do not present evidence for them to be taken seriously.
