Shettima Mourns Bamanga Tukur, Says Nigeria Has Lost A Patriot

Vice President Kashim Shettima has mourned the death of former Governor of old Gongola State and former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Muhammad Tukur, describing him as a patriot, global citizen and institution builder.

Tukur, the Tafidan Adamawa, died on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the age of 90, three days before his 91st birthday.

In a condolence message issued on Sunday, the Vice President said the death of the former governor and businessman was not only a loss to Adamawa State and the Fombina Emirate but also a “monumental loss to Nigeria and the African continent.”

“I am deeply grieved by the passing of our father, mentor and one of Nigeria’s greatest institution-builders, Alhaji Dr. Bamanga Muhammad Tukur, CON, the Tafidan Adamawa, who returned to his Creator today, September 12, 2026, at the age of 90, just three days shy of his 91st birthday.

“Alhaji Bamanga Tukur lived a life of impact in three distinct but interlinked worlds — as a technocrat who built Nigeria’s modern maritime infrastructure, as a statesman and politician who governed with vision, and as a pan-African business leader who put Africa’s private sector on the world map,” he stated.

Shettima recalled Tukur’s role in transforming Nigeria’s maritime sector, particularly his appointment as General Manager and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, in 1975.

“Nigerians of my generation will never forget that in 1975, when Nigerian ports were gridlocked by the infamous cement armada, a young, brilliant Bamanga Tukur was called to lead the Nigerian Ports Authority. He did not just clear the congestion; he built for the future,” the Vice President said.

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According to Shettima, Tukur, who headed the NPA from 1975 to 1982, conceived and delivered the Tin Can Island Port Complex while also modernising the Apapa, Warri, Calabar, Sapele and Onne ports.

“That singular intervention saved the Nigerian economy from collapse and created the gateway that still powers our trade today. In doing so, he became the first African Vice President and later a global icon in the International Association of Ports and Harbours in Tokyo, flying Nigeria’s flag high at a time when few Africans had such an opportunity,” Shettima added.

The Vice President also highlighted Tukur’s political career, noting that he served as Governor of the old Gongola State, which comprised present-day Adamawa and Taraba states, before his administration was cut short by the military intervention of December 1983.

“Bamanga Tukur’s vision for rural development and education left an enduring mark,” Shettima said.

He added that Tukur later served as Minister for Industries under the Abacha administration and became National Chairman of the PDP between 2012 and 2014.

“He later served as Minister for Industries under the Abacha administration and came full circle between 2012 and 2014 as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party at a most turbulent time. Even his fiercest political opponents attest that Tukur was a man of consensus, a man who chose the stability of the party over his own comfort when he voluntarily resigned in January 2014,” he said.

Shettima also paid tribute to Tukur’s contribution to African business and economic development through his continental engagements.

“Beyond Nigeria, Baba Tukur was Africa’s pride. As founder and Executive President of the African Business Roundtable and Chairman of the NEPAD Business Group, he was one of the earliest voices to argue that Africa must trade with itself and that African businesses must drive African development. The ideas he championed are what have now blossomed into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he stated.

The Vice President further described Tukur as “a true global citizen,” noting his roles on the Ghana Investors Advisory Council and as an adviser to the President of Benin Republic, as well as honours he received from Côte d’Ivoire and Togo for his continental service.

Shettima extended his condolences to Tukur’s family, the Adamawa State Government and the people of the state, assuring them that his contributions to Nigeria would not be forgotten.

He prayed that Almighty Allah would forgive the deceased’s shortcomings, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus and give his family the strength to bear the loss.