Aliyu Mai-Bornu
Mallam Aliyu Mai-Bornu | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1919 Yola, Nigeria |
| Died | 1970-02-23 |
| Occupation | Economist |
| Known for | First native Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria |
Mallam Aliyu Mai-Bornu (1919 – 23 February 1970) was a distinguished Nigerian economist and notably the first native Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Early life and education
Born in Yola into a family of Kanuri descent, Mai-Bornu's father initially resisted formal schooling but was eventually convinced by the Lamido to permit his son’s education. Mai-Bornu attended Yola Elementary and Middle Schools before gaining admission to Kaduna College in 1938, where he completed his studies in 1942, qualifying as an English instructor. He subsequently taught at Yola Middle School from 1942 to 1946 and at Kaduna College between 1946 and 1952, during which time he became a member of the Northern Teachers Association. In 1952, he was appointed deputy headmaster at Yola Middle School and briefly held a position as house tutor at the Veterinary School in Vom. Benefiting from a government scholarship, he pursued economics at Bristol University, United Kingdom, graduating in 1957.
Career
Upon returning to Nigeria, Mai-Bornu entered the Northern Nigeria Public Service as an administrative officer from 1957 to 1959, contributing to both the Public Service Commission and the Ministry of Finance and Trade. In 1959, he joined the Central Bank of Nigeria as assistant secretary and rapidly rose through the ranks to deputy secretary and then secretary. By 1962, he had become the first Nigerian to hold the post of deputy governor. On 25 July 1963, Mai-Bornu was appointed governor of the Central Bank, a role he fulfilled until 1967. Subsequently, he served as director and general manager of the Nigerian Tobacco Company from 1967 until 1969 and continued as a board member until his passing in 1970.
His image is featured on the 1,000 Naira banknote introduced on 12 October 2005.