Former Minister of Education and Petroleum, Professor Jubril Aminu, has died at the age of 85. He passed away on Thursday in Abuja following an extended illness, according to close family sources.
A well-known academic and medical expert, Aminu was a respected figure in Nigeria’s public service and diplomatic circles. He was known not just for his long years in government but also for his background in medicine and education.
His funeral prayer will take place at the Abuja National Mosque by 2:00 p.m. today. His body is expected to be flown to Yola before being moved to Song Local Government Area in Adamawa State, where he will be laid to rest.
Born in August 1939, Professor Aminu studied medicine at the University of Ibadan, graduating in 1965 as the top student from University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
He later pursued further studies in the United Kingdom and earned his PhD in Medicine in 1972 from the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London.
Throughout his life, Aminu took on several major roles in government and diplomacy. He first made a mark as the Minister of Education before being appointed as Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, a role he held between 1989 and 1992.
During this time, he was also chosen as President of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation in 1991. That same year, he became President of the OPEC Conference and remained in the position until 1992.
Later in his career, he served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2003. After returning to Nigeria, he entered the Senate and represented Adamawa Central from 2003 until 2011.
Earlier, he was also a delegate at the National Constitutional Conference held between 1994 and 1995.
