Dantata
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Dantata The name Dantata is synonymous and linked with Money, Wealth, And Prosperity in Nigeria and particularly in the northern part of the country. Tracing its history to the late 19th century. The scion of the family, Alhassan Dantata was a successful businessman from what is now present day Nigeria. He was born into an Agalawa trading family in his childhood town of Bebeji
[edit] Alhassan Sanusi Dantata
Alhaji Alhassan started trading at an early age, and soon became a major Kola trader (1903-1906?). He mastered the tacit but yet efficient method of transporting goods from Kano through Ibadan-Lagos and finally to Accra, Ghana. He was one of the pioneer merchants using this route and was fairly successful trading kola from kano/Bebeji. Soon After, Alhaji Dantata later dabbled into trading in western clothes, beads and necklaces and continued to enjoy relative success. However, Alhaji Dantata decided to make some changes to consolidate his business which in due time became prefigurative elements to his emergence in regional folklore.
Around the time of Abbas, Emir of Kano(1903-1919) he decided to leave Bebeji and make Kano his Home. This gave him a wider exposure to the political charlatans of the era. And later in 1918, Alhaji Alhassan Dantata a devout Muslim soon found a much bigger prize, he was approached by the Niger company(U.A.C) to become an agent for them in the groundnut produce business. He chose to work with the company for different reasons, one was the successful precedent set by cocoa produce merchants in the gold coast. Since then he never looked back. He was also a board member of the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
[edit] Legacy
Alhaji Dantata died in 1955 and was survived by 18 children, including Alhaji Aminu Dantata (Express Petroleum) and Abdulkadir Sanusi Dantata (Dantata and Sawoe). At the time of his death he could arguably be described as the richest West African in the British colonies. The surname of Alhaji Alhassan Dantata, is used today by over a thousand children, grand children, great grand children, and perhaps relatives of the great Alhassan Dantata.
Aminu dantata's Children: Late Bashir, Ummulkhair, Tajudden, Amna, Surayya, Nabila, Late Rufai, Zainab, Batool, Hafsi, Sadiq, Aliya, Sadiqa, Hassan, Jamila, Fatima, Bara, Alawiyya, Late Bilal, Maryam, Bashir, Hussain, Faisal, Munira, Mohammed.
Some of Aminu dantata's Grandchildren: Naim, Khalid, Ahmad, Suhail, Muazam, Salman, Aminu...
