Zanna Bukar Dipcharima (1917–1969) was a Nigerian politician who was active during the Nigerian First Republic, he was a member of the House of Representatives and later appointed a Minister in the administration of Tafawa Balewa.[1] He was a former Minister of Commerce and Industry and also of Transport.[2]
Zanna Bukar Dipcharima | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Transport | |
| In office 1964–1966 | |
| Preceded by | Raymond Njoku |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Tarka |
| Minister of Commerce and Industry | |
| In office 17 July 1961 – 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Raymond Njoku |
| Succeeded by | Augustus Akinloye |
| Member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria from Borno Province | |
| In office 1959–1966 | |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | position abolished |
| Constituency | Yerwa |
| In office 1954–1958 | |
| Succeeded by | position abolished |
| Constituency | Borno Central |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bukar Suloma Dipcharima 1917 Dipchari village, Bornu Province, Northern Region, Colonial Nigeria |
| Died | 1969 (aged 51–52) |
| Political party | Northern People's Congress (1954–1966) |
Early life and education
editZanna Bukar Dipcharima was born in 1917 at Dipchari village in the Bornu Province (now in Borno State) of Northern Nigeria.[3]: 76 His father, Lawan Dipchari, was a Kanuri District Head.[4]: 339 He attended the Maiduguri Middle School and later trained as a teacher at the Katsina Higher Training College.[2]
Career and politics
editDipcharima began his career as a teacher, working at various schools from 1938 until 1946 when he embarked on a political career. He first joined the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), a party led by Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, and was in the party's delegation to Britain in 1947. Dipcharima left the NCNC to work as a manager for the British trading company John Holt in Bida.[4]: 339
In 1954, he resigned his managerial position to re-enter politics after he was invited by the Borno Province branch Northern People's Congress (NPC) to assume its presidency. He was elected into the Borno Native Authority and was prominent in its drive against corruption.[4]: 340
Dipcharima later became the head of the Yerwa District in 1956, taking the traditional title of Zanna. He won a seat in the Federal House of Representatives in Lagos in 1954 and was made Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Transport. He became Minister of State without Portfolio in 1957 and later Minister of Commerce and Industry. As Federal Minister of Commerce and Industry, he traveled to U.S in the fall of 1963 to seek American commercial interests in the development of manufacturing in Nigeria, a move if successful will reduce the influence of deeply entrenched British firms in the economy. While there, he informed interested firms a promise of absence of racial antagonism and a tax holiday.[5]
In 1964, Dipcharima took the portfolio of the Minister of Transport and was holding this office when the federal civilian government was overthrown in the military coup of 15 January 1966.[6] In the aftermath of the coup, he presided over the Cabinet that handed over power to the armed forces in the absence of the abducted Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.[2][7]
Legacy
editThe headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Transportion in Abuja is named after him.[8][9]
The cap frequently worn by Dipcharima, at the time known as the "Yemenee cap," became closely associated with him. Today, this cap has gained widespread popularity and is now referred to as the 'Zanna cap' in his honor.[10][11]
Death
editDipcharima died in an air accident in 1969.
References
edit- ^ Sklar, Richard L (1963). Nigerian political parties: power in an emergent African nation. p. 343. ISBN 9781400878239. OCLC 927404565.
- ^ a b c Uwechue, Ralph (1991). Makers Of Modern Africa: Profile in History (2nd ed.). United Kingdom: Africa Books Limited. pp. 200–201. ISBN 0903274183.
- ^ Segal, Ronald (1961). political Africa : a who's who of personalities and parties. Internet Archive. New York : Praeger.
- ^ a b c Sklar, Richard L. (1983). Nigerian political parties : power in an emergent African nation. Internet Archive. New York : NOK Publishers International. ISBN 978-0-88357-100-2.
- ^ "Investment Opportunities in Nigeria". Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. March 1964.
- ^ "55 Years of Nigeria's 1st coup: What British Intelligence officials wrote about it -". The NEWS. 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
- ^ Ojiako, James O. (1981). Nigeria : yesterday, today, and-- ?. Internet Archive. Onitsha, Nigeria : Africana Educational Publishers. p. 226. ISBN 978-978-175-006-9.
- ^ "Home". Federal Ministry of Transportation, Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
- ^ "The Onerous Task Before Tinubu's Ministers – THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
- ^ "How Borno IDPs Survive, Thrive Making Zanna Cap". Leadership. 2023-02-25. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
- ^ Matazu, Hamisu Kabir (2022-12-17). "Bama caps bringing politicians, supporters together - Daily Trust". Daily Trust. Retrieved 2024-06-12.