Mamman Daura


Mamman Daura is a Nigerian newspaper journalist who was Editor of the New Nigerian from 1969 to 1973. In the late 1970s, he served on several government boards and agencies including the News Agency of Nigeria, and in the 1980s was Chairman of the Nigerian Television Authority and Africa International Bank. He is a nephew and long time close associate of President Muhammadu Buhari; and a prominent member of the infamous Kaduna Mafia, a loose group of Nigerian businessmen, civil servants, intellectuals and military officers from Northern Nigeria.

Life

Daura finished secondary education at Okene Provincial School in 1956. He worked with the Daura Native Authority for a couple of years before joining the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation as a programme assistant. From 1962 to 1968, he studied economics and public administration at Trinity College, Dublin.
In 1968, Adamu Ciroma, editor of the New Nigerian was looking to recruit qualified and educated northern Nigerians for the newspaper. One of those recruits was Daura who was just finishing his degree in Dublin. Daura was hesitant to take the position when he returned to Nigeria but instead worked in the office of General Abba Kyari, the military governor of North-Central State.
In April 1969, he finally joined the staff of New Nigerian as the paper's new editor. The first two years of his stewardship was a focus on coverage of issues affecting Northerners and protection of northern interests. In 1974, he later became the managing director of paper's holding company. When Murtala Mohammed's administration opted to takeover the ownership of the paper, Daura soon left the company.
Mamman, an uncle of the younger Buhari, was influential in the government of Buhari between 1984 and 1985. He was a board member of BCCI's Nigerian affiliate, Africa International Bank and founded a furniture factory in Kaduna. He was also a former chairman of the now defunct Nigerian Bank of Commerce and Industry.