Abdu Gusau
Abdu Gusau, Garkuwan Sokoto, MBE, OON, was a Nigerian civil engineer, and statesman who served as the Garkuwa of Sokoto until his death in 1994. He was the Chief estate engineer for Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1967 to 1972 where he was in charge of estates, which included buildings, the campus road network and the water supply. Gusau also served as a principal engineer with Taylor Woodrow of London where he worked on building London Heathrow's airport terminal.
Gusau was the civil commissioner for the now defunct North western state Nigeria from 1972 to 1975.
Biography
He was born on 15 July 1918 in the town of Gusau in present-day Zamfara state.Primary education
He attended elementary school at Gusau from 1927 to 1930 and then went on to middle school in Sokoto from 1930 to 1935.Secondary and higher education
Alhaji Gusau later attended Katsina higher college from 1935 to 1939. He later matriculated from Yaba higher college for further studies in Lagos from 1946 to 1947.In 1947, Alhaji Gusau was awarded a scholarship to study at the Acton technical college in London, and later on obtained an HND in mechanical engineering from Woolwich Polytechnic.
Career
Alhaji Gusau began his career in the Nigerian Civil Service when he joined the Sokoto local authority works department as a Junior technical staff in November 1939. During his time there, he was promoted and assigned as the "wakilin ayukka" officer in charge of construction at the Gusau aerodrome. Upon his return from studying in the UK in 1951, Alhaji Gusau rejoined the Sokoto local authority works department briefly, after which he moved on to work for Taylor Woodrow Construction. He was part of a team of engineers that constructed London Heathrow's airport terminal in 1953. In 1955, he was made resident engineer of Sokoto local authority works where he was responsible for all buildings and roads in the emirate. He was the Chief estate engineer of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1967 to 1972 where he was in charge of estates, which included buildings, the campus road network and water supply; in 1972 he was appointed the civil commissioner for the North western state overseeing all civil works in the region.Alhaji Gusau also served as a member of many boards:
| Board | title | Date |
| Northern regional board of education, Kaduna | Member | 1958–1966 |
| North Western state public service commission | Member | 1968–1972 |
| Central bank of Nigeria | Director | 1961–1972 |
| The Antiques Commission | Member | 1961–1966 |
| The Morgan commission on salaries and wages review | Member | 1962–1964 |
| Northern Nigeria investment Limited | Director | 1972–1978 |
| Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto | Director of works, Adviser on Physical planning | 1976–1978 |
| Cement company of Northern Nigeria, Sokoto | Chairman | 1978–1984 |
| Board of Directors, Sokoto polytechnic | Member | 1984–1986 |
| Messr Engineering, and consulting associates, Kano | Director | 1984–1986 |
| Messr Micheletti and sons construction co. Enugu | Director | 1984–1986 |
| Messr Jos Housen and Sohne water co. | Director | 1984–1986 |
| Sokoto state rural electricity board | Chairman | 1987–1994 |
| University of Ilorin | Pro chancellor and Chairman | 1987–1994 |