By Mahdi Waziri Isa
Bayero University Kano (BUK), has conferred Honorary Doctorate Degrees (Honoris Causa) on Colonel Sani Bello (Rtd.) and Alhaji A.A. Rano for their remarkable contributions to the society in areas of leadership and philanthropy.
Colonel Bello, who was a former military Governor of Kano State is a business tycoon and a philanthropist of repute who has been operating a comprehensive scholarship scheme through which he grants scholarships to deserving students at several educational levels.
Colonel Bello held several positions in Nigeria after his tenure as the military Governor of Kano State in 1978, including the Chairmanship of Niger State Green Revolution, Chairmanship of Niger State NYSC Committee, Chairmanship of Nigerian Table Tennis Federation and Chairmanship of the Board of Continental Merchant Bank, untill 1993.
Since his retirement, he has meritoriously served at various times as Chairman and member of government, corporate, private and recreational establishments including the Sani Bello Foundation, a non-profit organization that was set up to impact the society positively with resource and skills acquisition to improve the general wellbeing of Nigerians.
Colonel Bello, in collaboration with a Norwegian firm is Presently promoting one of the largest Fishing Companies in Africa and is currently the Chairman, Dantata And Sawoe Constitution Company.
Alhaji A. A. Rano on the other hand, is also a renowned business mogul from Kano State, and a recipient of several national and international honours, including the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), given to him by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He is the owner of A.A. Rano Nigeria Limited, which is an umbrella for several companies including A.A Rano Oil, Rano Air Limited, A.A Rano Rice Processing Factory, A.A. Rano Agro-Chemical Company and A.A. Rano Ultra-Modern Engine Oil Manufacturing Company, all of which employs about 5,000 Nigerians directly, and about 7,000 indirectly.
In the area of philanthropy, Alhaji A.A. Rano has, through his foundation, built hundreds of classrooms for many primary and secondary schools Kano, Jigawa, Plateau, Bauchi and Katsina States. He has also built students’ hostels anonymously for several institutions.
Currently, he has about 2,500 primary school pupils and secondary school students across several states of Nigeria under his direct sponsorship, and about 600 students of different states of origin in tertiary Institutions in Nigeria (including about 100 medical students of Bayero University, Kano) and another 75 students undergoing studies in universities outside Nigeria.
He also has about 100 teachers under his direct employment (drawing salaries from his foundation), who are teaching at various primary and secondary schools across several states of Nigeria.