NASARAWA AT 30: STATE HONOURS EDUCATION ICON, ALHAJI YAKUBU ALIYU (MAI-SULE) AT AWARD NIGHT.
By Gambo Abdullahi, Public Analyst. 01/10/2026_
History has a quiet way of honouring its true heroes. On Wednesday, 30th September 2026, at the Aliyu Akwe Doma Banquet Hall, Government House, Lafia, that quiet honour became loud.
At the prestigious Award Night organized to commemorate Nasarawa State at 30 years of creation, one name stood out among the icons honoured - Alhaji Yakubu Muhammad Aliyu, OON, the Ubandoman Lafia, fondly known as Mai-Sule.
Recognized as one of the distinguished founding fathers whose courage, intellect and sacrifice gave birth to Nasarawa State, the 86-year-old elder statesman could not personally receive the award due to advanced age. It was received on his behalf by family members led by his son, Ahmad Yakubu Muhammad, the Yandakan Lafia, who is also the Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Nasarawa State.
It was a moment rich in symbolism. Nasarawa at 30 honouring a man who, 30 years earlier, provided the intellectual and moral impetus for its creation.
A Child of Royalty, A Product of Merit.
Born in 1939 into the noble Dalla Royal House of Angwan Doka, Lafia, grandson of the late Musa, the 11th Emir of Lafia, Mai-Sule's life has been a blend of royalty and rare merit.
He started at Lafia Elementary School in 1944. His brilliance earned him a place as one of only seven pupils selected from the entire Lafia Division to attend the prestigious Katsina Ala Middle School from 1949 to 1953. He later obtained his Grade II Certificate at Teachers Training College, Ilorin (1954-1958).
From Classroom to Northern Nigeria.
He began his career in 1958 at Lafia Senior Primary School, now Government Science Secondary School, Lafia. In 1962, he was selected for a special programme in Educational Management and Local Government Administration at the Institute of Administration, ABU Zaria, where he graduated as Overall Best Student. The feat was published by the _Nigerian Citizen Newspaper_ in June 1963, and the institution retained him to teach Educational Administration.
From there, he was posted to the Ministry of Education Headquarters, Kaduna, as Planning and Development Officer, supervising Teacher Education and later all secondary schools in Northern Nigeria. His statewide tour and recommendations led to the upgrading of Senior Primary Schools to secondary schools in Lafia (1966/67), Gboko, Mubi, Maiduguri and Sokoto - schools that have produced generations of leaders.
An Administrator of Uncommon Vision.
After the creation of Benue-Plateau State, he served in Jos as Planning Officer for Education, Liaison Officer for asset sharing from Kaduna, Administrative Officer in the Ministry of Finance (1968-1970), Divisional Officer for Lowland Division (Shendam, Langtang, Wase) and later the vast Tiv Division, which he recommended for splitting into Katsina-Ala, Gboko and Makurdi for effective administration.
He rose to become Permanent Secretary from 1972 to 1978 and was at a time General Manager of the Benue-Plateau Bus Service, before voluntarily retiring on December 28, 1978, with an unblemished record.
The Custodian and The Agitator.
Traditional titles followed meritorious service: Zanna of Lafia, Magajin Garin Lafia, and now Ubandoman Lafia.
Having earlier witnessed two state creation exercises, that experience made him a leading intellectual force in the agitation for the creation of Nasarawa State. Mai-Sule preached unity, insisting that Nasarawa's identity must be built on common heritage and peaceful coexistence.
At 86, he may have left service decades ago, but his life remains a textbook on integrity, selfless service and visionary leadership.
As Nasarawa celebrates 30 years, honouring Mai-Sule is honouring the very soul of the state itself.
