By The Metro 
Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and the Sardaunan Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, has died in Abuja at the age of 87, family sources confirmed on Thursday.
The elder statesman, who also served as Minister of State for Budget and Planning in 1988 and Minister of Finance between 1990 and 1991 under the administration of former military President General Ibrahim Babangida, passed away after a short illness, the family said.
A career civil servant, Alhaji rose through the ranks to become Permanent Secretary in the Ministries of Finance, Trade, Industries and National Planning before his appointment to the Federal Executive Council. He later represented Nigeria as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1992 to 1996, where he was credited with helping to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries.
Beyond his public service, Alhaji held one of the most revered traditional titles in the Sokoto Caliphate as the Sardaunan Sokoto. He was turbaned in 1990, succeeding the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and in that role served as a bridge between government, the traditional institution and the people.
The family said funeral arrangements will be announced in due course in accordance with Islamic rites.