By Gideon Maxwell
May 21, 2026
Former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, realised at least N4.625 billion from donations and book purchases during the public presentation of his autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, at an elaborate ceremony held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The event which attracted Nigeria’s political elite, influential businessmen, diplomats and retired military officers, quickly turned into one of the biggest book presentation fundraising events in recent Nigerian history as prominent personalities announced massive financial commitments in support of the former military leader.
Retired General Theophilus Danjuma emerged as the highest donor at the event after pledging N3 billion as chief presenter of the autobiography.
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, followed with a donation of N500 million through the purchase of 25 copies of the book.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum also made a strong showing at the launch as Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang announced a collective donation of N1.1 billion from 35 state governors across the country.
Founder of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, equally contributed by purchasing copies worth N25 million.
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The publicly declared donations and purchases pushed the verified amount realised from the launch to at least N4.625 billion, placing the total close to the N5 billion mark, with indications that additional undisclosed pledges were also made during the event.
The autobiography, spanning 881 pages, chronicles Gowon’s early life, military career, years as Nigeria’s Head of State between 1966 and 1975, the Nigerian civil war, post war reconciliation efforts and his reflections on leadership, governance and national unity.
The event attracted several top dignitaries, including President Bola Tinubu, former heads of government, governors, ministers, lawmakers, captains of industry, diplomats and traditional rulers.
Many speakers at the launch praised Gowon for his role in preserving Nigeria’s unity during one of the country’s most turbulent periods and for his post war reconciliation philosophy anchored on the slogan, “No victor, no vanquished.”
The autobiography presentation also served as a gathering point for some of Nigeria’s most influential political and business figures, highlighting Gowon’s enduring relevance in national affairs decades after leaving office.
Although reports indicated that other donations and pledges were announced at the ceremony, not all contributions were publicly itemised, making the N4.625 billion figure the minimum verified amount realised from the launch.
