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  Mallam Aliyu Mai-Bornu was a Nigerian economist and the first indigenous governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
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Early Life

Mai-Bornu was born in 1919 to parents of Kanuri origin in present-day Borno State. His father was a councillor in the Lamido Native Authority and initially opposed Mai-Bornu’s attendance at school until he was persuaded by the Lamido to give Mai-Bornu a chance. He began elementary school in 1932, later attending Yola Middle School and proceeding to the then Kaduna College (now Barewa College) in 1938. He graduated in 1942 after qualifying as an English Language teacher. He taught English at Yola Middle School, his alma mater, from 1942 to 1946, after which he spent eight years at Kaduna College as a lecturer of English. In 1954, he served as House Tutor at the Veterinary School in Vom, Plateau State. He studied economics at Bristol University in the United Kingdom from 1954 to 1957.

Early life And Education

Career After his graduation in 1957, Mai-Bornu returned to Nigeria and obtained a post as Administrative Officer with the Northern Nigeria Public Service (1957–1959) serving in the Public Service Commission and Ministry of Finance and Trade.
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When the Central Bank started operations in 1959, he was seconded to the Central Bank of Nigeria as an Assistant Secretary. He rapidly rose through the ranks from assistant secretary to deputy secretary, then secretary. In 1962, he became the first Nigerian to be appointed Deputy Governor. On July 25, 1963, Mai-Bornu was appointed Governor of the Central Bank (1963–1967). After leaving the bank, he was appointed Director and General Manager of the Nigerian Tobacco Company (1967–1969). He served on the Board of Directors of the company until his death on the 23rd of February, 1970. His portrait features on the 1,000 Naira note brought into circulation on October 12, 2005. At the CBN, he rose quickly through the ranks to become Secretary before his appointment as Deputy Governor in 1962. Mai-Bornu became the first indigenous governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on July 25, 1963. He held the position until June 22, 1967, when he retired. After leaving the bank, he served as Director and General Manager of the Nigerian Tobacco Company (NTC) from 1967 to 1969. Death Although Mai-Bornu resigned from his appointment at the NTC in 1969, he continued to serve as a member of the Board of Directors until his death on February 23, 1970, at the age of 51. His portrait features on the N1,000 note which was brought into circulation on October 12, 2005. Source: Zodml Observers Times Featured Image Source: Observers Times
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This article was first published on 31st December 2021

jeremiah

Jeremiah is a scholar and a poet. He has a keen eye for studying the world and is passionate about people. He tweets at @jeremiahaluwong.

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