Guarantee Media.
Aminu Saleh was a distinguished Nigerian public servant born on November 6, 1933 in Azare, a town in Katagum Local Government Area of what is now Bauchi State.
He spent his early childhood in Azare Elementary School and later attended Bauchi Middle School. After this early schooling he continued his education at the Clerical Training College in Zaria and then studied accounting at the Institute of Administration, also in Zaria.
While working, he earned a university degree in the evenings from the University of Lagos and later pursued graduate studies in management at the University of Wisconsin in the United States.
Saleh began his career at the Katagum Native Authority where he worked first as a clerk and then became the treasurer.
In 1962 he transferred to the federal civil service in Lagos where his talent and discipline in financial and administrative management quickly became apparent.
Over the years he worked in many ministries including Finance, Agriculture and Communication.
He rose through the ranks to become permanent secretary in several federal ministries such as Defence, Communication, Trade and others.
At different times during his long career he held several important national positions.
He served as Nigeria’s Minister of Industries and later as Minister of Finance. H
e was appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Head of the Federal Civil Service during the regime of General Sani Abacha, serving in that role from November 1993 until October 1995.
Saleh’s career also included work under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo in the 1970s and participation in national planning initiatives such as Vision 2010.
Beyond government service, Saleh was involved in both business and community life. He owned a Nigerian soft drink brand known as Brahma and Tandi Guarana and held shares in various industries.
In 2006 he became chairman of the National Qur’anic Recitation Committee.
At the state level in Bauchi he chaired advisory and development committees focused on constitutional review, dam projects, and regional development.
For his service, he received Nigeria’s national honours including the title of Commander of the Federal Republic and the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger.
He was also awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, and received recognition from student bodies for his contributions.
Aminu Saleh passed away on July 22, 2015 at the age of 81 in the Federal Medical Centre in Azare after complications following surgery.
His death was widely reported as a significant loss to both his local community and the nation given his decades of dedicated public service.
