Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor and 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has opened up on how faith and resilience helped him stay calm after losing two of the most powerful positions he once held.
Speaking at the Fola Adeola Annual Ramadan Lecture, Sanusi reflected on the role of belief in God in navigating challenges, including his suspension as CBN governor and his later removal as Emir of Kano.
“Too often in our lives, we attribute things to human beings, but they are all created,” he said. “Remembering that situations are not permanent, and that Allah changes your circumstances, helps you cope and conduct yourself.”
Sanusi also warned against humiliating oneself in pursuit of favor from powerful people. “I’ve seen people who beg, cringe, and bow to human beings because they feel this person holds the path to their position,” he said.
Drawing from his own experience, he recounted, “I was suspended from being governor of the central bank. Three months later, I became an emir. Several years ago I was removed as emir; four years later, I came back. I’m now in the same palace, I’m on my throne. Yes, there are challenges, but at the end of the day, you hold on to God. You don’t panic.”
Sanusi noted that his time away from Kano allowed him to avoid potential humiliations and pursue academic work, including a PhD. “God was so merciful, so kind. He took me away from that. He gave me a chance, I went and did a PhD, and I’m back,” he said.
He urged people not to see losing positions as the end of their purpose, stressing the importance of staying true to one’s principles. “If I’m taken away from positions, it’s not a big deal. At the end of the day, I ask myself, have I done anything to offend God?”
Sanusi served as CBN governor from 2009 to 2014. He was dethroned as Emir of Kano in 2020 by the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje but was reinstated to the throne in 2024 by the current governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf.
