Young politician

After returning from Britain, he was nominated to represent the province of Sokoto in the regional House of Assembly. As a member of the assembly, he was a notable voice for northern interests and embraced a style of consultation and consensus with the major representatives of the northern emirates namely Kano, Bornu and Sokoto. He was selected among with others as a member of a committee that redrafted the Richards Constitution and he also attended a general conference in Ibadan. His work at the assembly and in the constitution drafting committee brought him appreciation in the north and he was asked to take on leadership positions within Jamiyya Mutanen Arewa.^[1] In the first elections held in Northern Nigeria in 1952, Sir Ahmadu Bello won a seat in the Northern House of Assembly, and became a member of the regional executive council as minister of works. Bello was successfully minister of Works, of Local Government, and of Community Development in the Northern Region of Nigeria.^[4] In 1954, Bello became the first Premier of Northern Nigeria.

Independence of Nigeria

In the 1959 independence elections, Bello led the NPC to win a plurality of the parliamentary seats. Bello's NPC forged an alliance with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's NCNC (National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons) to form Nigeria's first indigenous federal government which led to independence from Britain. In forming the 1960 independence federal government of the Nigeria, Bello as president of the NPC, chose to remain Premier of Northern Nigeria and devolved the position of Prime Minister of the Federation to the deputy president of the NPC, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.^[5]

Northernisation

Due to a limited number of qualified graduates from the region, Sir Ahmadu Bello instated the northernisation of the regions public service. Administration in the North was through indirect rule and Western education was not considered very important in many divisions. After the regionalization of the public service, political leaders in the region felt that the number of Northerners in the service was minimal in comparison to their counterparts in the South. Due to political considerations, leaders in the region limited the recruitment of Southerners into the Northern regional service and found ways to push up the ranks of northerners in junior and senior position.^{[citation needed]} This policy led to increased education opportunities for Northerners, particularly in the Middle Belt region. Regarding the policy, historian Kirk-Greene noted that "It is the Middle Belt people who have supplied most of the secondary schools and output of technicians; while their astonishing preponderance in all ranks of the army has been a surprise to correspondants just going to Nigeria".^[7]

The leaders retained the services of expatriates, ^[8] because Northerners regarded expatriates as transients but feared southern domination of the regional civil service.^[9] Measures were put in place to train northerners; in 1949, a scholarship board provided grants to almost all Northerners with qualifications to enter universities.^[10] In 1957, administration courses were taught at the Institute of Administration in Zaria. Apart from trying to fill positions in the civil service with Northerners, political leaders in the zone also made it a priority to secure Northern representation in senior positions of the Federal service.^[10]

In a legislative debate held in 1952, a traditional ruler from the North expressed his support for the policy. He likened Nigeria to a compound with three houses:

The people in Mr. West's and Mr. East's houses have already gone far on the way,

having started their journey earlier in the morning, but we of Mallam North's house

only have started after mid-day and have begun to understand that alien way.

Therefore it is very necessary for us to run at a very terrific speed in order to

overtake those people, and be able to reach our common destination together.^[11]

Economy

Various institutions were created under Bello, including the Northern Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC), Bank of the North and Northern Nigeria Investments Ltd (NNIL). NNDC was an holding company with capital sourced from the region's marketing board while NNIL was a partnership between the Commonwealth Development Corporation and NNDC created to assist in the industrial development in Northern Nigeria.^{[citation needed]}

Education

Bello initiated plans to modernise traditional Koranic education in Northern Nigeria. He set up a commission to this effect and gave official recognition to the schools.^[12] The commission recommended the introduction of secular subjects in the schools and creation of different classes for pupils.^[13]

Part of his educational objectives was building a school in each province in Northern Nigeria.^[6]

Coup warnings and predictions

Prior to the 1966 Nigerian coup d'état, Bello received warnings from the Premier of the Western Region Samuel Akintola, and Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun.^[14]

Assassination

On 15 January 1966, Bello was assassinated by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu a Nigerian Army officer in a coup which toppled Nigeria's post-independence government. He was still serving as premier of Northern Nigeria at the time. This was the first coup in the history of Nigeria, which heralded the rise of the military in the country's politics. Also assassinated in the coup was his longtime friend Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa alongside many political elites in the north and in the west.^{[citation needed]}

Bello had three wives at the time of his death. Hafsatu, his senior wife, died alongside him.^[15] He had three surviving daughters with another wife, Amina (Goggon Kano). His eldest daughter was Inno, followed by Aisha and Lubabatu.^{[citation needed]}

Reputation

Ahmadu Bello believed that every Nigerian, and all human beings are created equally, that they are endowed by God with rights among which are life, liberty, equal opportunity, blessings and the legitimate pursuit of happiness. Throughout his political career and before, he espoused high morality and intellectual virtues.^[17]

Place names

A number of localities and monuments around the country have been named in Sardauna's honour. They include:

• The Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria is named after him.
• His portrait adorns the 200 naira banknote.^[18]