Early Life and Education
Ahmed Lemu was born in Lemu Village, near Bida in Gbako Local Government Area of Niger State on 21 December 1929.
- 1932: Began Qur'anic education in Bida
- 1939: Commenced formal elementary education
- 1948: Attended Government College, Lemu
- 1952: Obtained Level Two Teachers Certificate in Arabic, Sharia Jurisdiction, and General Islamic Education from the School of Arabic Studies, Lemu
- 1954: Attended the School of African and Oriental Studies, London University
- 1961: Earned General Education Certificate (A-Level) in Arabic, History, Hausa, and Persian
- 1964: Graduated with a BA (Hons) in African and Oriental Studies
Career
Education Sector
- 1953–1960: Taught Arabic, Islamic Studies, and English at Government Secondary School, Bida
- 1960: Senior teacher in Kano, also served as supervisor and principal of the School of Arabic Studies
- 1965–1966: Director of Government Secondary Education
- 1966: Principal of Arabic Teachers College, Sokoto
- 1970: Senior Inspector of Education
- 1971–1973: Chief Inspector of Education, Sokoto State
- 1974–1976: Head of Educational Planning in Sokoto State
- 2009: Consultant at Fountain University, Osogbo
He authored several reference books and was a speaker in international Islamic conferences and da’wah missions.
Judiciary Career
- 1976–1977: First Sharia Judge, Court of Appeals, Sokoto
- 1976–1991: Chief Sharia Judge, Niger State Court of Appeals
- Served as:
- President, Nigerian Council of Religions
- Chairman, Niger State Preaching Board
- Chairman, Council of Ulama
- Tafsir preacher during Ramadan (radio/TV)
- Regular Friday preacher in Hausa and Nupe at Minna Central Mosque
Islamic Educational Trust (IET)
Founded: 16 November 1969
Founders: Ahmed Lemu, Aisha Lemu, Ashafa Sani Suleiman
First Office: Aisha Lemu’s kitchen store, Sokoto
First Task: Providing qualified Islamic Religious Knowledge teachers to schools in Northern Nigeria
- Developed first IRK textbooks with Bashir Sambo and AbdurRahman Doi
- Programs Included:
- Daawah Institute Nigeria
- Daawah Mobile Corps
- Women’s Classes
- Weekend Schools
- Annual Seminars for Muslim Undergraduates
Supporters:
- Alhaji Sir Abubakar III (Sultan of Sokoto)
- Alhaji Usman Faruk (Military Governor of North-Western State)
IET HQ:
- Sokoto (1975)
- Moved to Minna in 1976 when Lemu became Grand Khadi
- Celebrated 50th Anniversary in 2019
Lemu also founded the Dawah Coordination Council of Nigeria and was its first President.
Committee Appointments
- Vision 2010 Committee (under Sani Abacha)
- 2011: Chairman, Presidential Committee on Post-Election Violence (appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan)
- Member of national and international committees on security, dialogue, and reconciliation.
Awards and Honours
- 1991: Merit Prize, Niger State Government
- 1999: National Honour - Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar
- 2001: Order of the Niger (OON) by President Olusegun Obasanjo
- 2014: King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam
- Honorary Degrees:
- 1996: Uthman Danfodiyo University
- 2011: Osogbo University (PhD)
- 2013: Al-Hilal University (PhD)
Notable Students
- Ibrahim Babangida – Former Nigerian Head of State
- Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar
- Sani Bello – Military Administrator, North-Eastern State
- Gado Nasko
- Mamman Vatsa
- Mohammed Sami
Books by Ahmed Lemu
- A Book of Fasting (1992) – ISBN: 1-881963-01-2
- Islam for Africa (1980s) – IET, Minna
- Should Muslim Women Speak? (2008) – ISBN: 978-978-2159-55-7
- Religion and Morality in Islam – Islamic Charitable Organization Nigeria Office
- The Young Muslim: Book One (2007, Revised Ed.) – ISBN: 978-978-2159-37-3
Death
Ahmed Lemu passed away on 24 December 2020 at the age of 91.
See Also
- Islamic Educational Trust (IET)
- Aisha Lemu
- List of Nigerian Islamic Scholars
References
Sources from news archives, Islamic Educational Trust, government records, and published books.