Former Minister of Defence, Theophilus Danjuma, and billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote made major financial contributions on Tuesday during the public presentation of the autobiography of former Nigerian Head of State, Yakubu Gowon.
The event, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, attracted top government officials, diplomats, military officers and prominent business leaders from across the country.
Danjuma reportedly donated N3 billion in support of the occasion, while Dangote purchased 25 copies of the autobiography for N500 million through his representative, Mansur Ahmed.
The autobiography, titled My Life of Duty and Allegiance, is a 20-chapter memoir chronicling Gowon’s life, leadership journey and experiences during critical moments in Nigeria’s history, including the Nigerian Civil War.
Also at the event, Abdul Samad Rabiu, president of the BUA Group, bought copies of the book worth N25 million.
In addition to his donation, Danjuma directed that 12 copies of the book be purchased and distributed to libraries in each of the 20 universities that awarded Gowon honorary doctorate degrees.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu at the unveiling ceremony.
The book was reviewed by Matthew Kukah, while Danjuma, who served as chief presenter, was represented by former Chief of Defence Staff, Martin Luther Agwai.
Speaking during the event, Danjuma praised Gowon’s leadership during one of Nigeria’s most difficult periods, describing him as a courageous leader who helped preserve the unity of the country during the civil war era.
According to him, Gowon’s famous “no victor, no vanquished” declaration after the war laid the foundation for national reconciliation and healing.
“The slogan set the tone for his highly effective post-war policies of reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation, which helped to speedily heal the scars of the war and put Nigeria on the path to sustainable recovery,” Danjuma stated.
He further described Gowon as a patriotic leader whose dedication to Nigeria remained steadfast even during the country’s most challenging moments.
“He will forever be remembered as a leader whose love for his country and fellow citizens was unwavering, even in the most trying of times,” he added.
