Muhammadu Sanusi II has said his years away from Kano following his dethronement as emir helped him avoid possible humiliation and gave him the opportunity to pursue further academic work.
Speaking at the Fola Adeola Annual Ramadan Lecture, the monarch reflected on resilience during difficult moments, stressing that power and life outcomes ultimately change by the will of God.
Sanusi said many people wrongly attribute their success or failure to powerful individuals, forgetting that circumstances can change beyond human control.
“Too often in our lives, we attribute things to human beings, but they are all created,” he said.
According to him, remembering that situations are temporary and controlled by God helps people remain calm and dignified during difficult periods.
The monarch used his personal experiences as an example, recalling how faith sustained him after he was removed as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and later dethroned as emir.
Sanusi cautioned people against humiliating themselves in a bid to gain favour from influential figures.
“I’ve seen people who beg, cringe, and bow to human beings. They humiliate themselves because they feel this person holds the path to their position,” he said.
Reflecting on his journey, the monarch said major setbacks in his career eventually turned into new opportunities.
“I was suspended from being governor of the central bank. Three months later, I became an emir,” he said.
“Several years ago I was removed as emir; four years later, I came back. I’m now in the same palace, on my throne.”
Sanusi said the period outside the palace allowed him to focus on scholarship, revealing that he completed a PhD during the time away from Kano.
“I think of all the things that could have happened if I was in Kano in the last four years — the humiliation I could have faced,” he said.
“But God was merciful and kind. He took me away, gave me a chance to go and do a PhD, and now I’m back.”
Sanusi served as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 2009 to 2014.
He was dethroned as Emir of Kano in 2020 by then governor Abdullahi Ganduje but was reinstated in 2024 by the incumbent governor Abba Yusuf.
The monarch said losing positions should not be seen as the end of a person’s purpose, urging people to remain steadfast in their faith and principles.
