TY Danjuma's biography, family and career
Many people who are interested in the Nigerian army and politics would like to know more about the personality of TY Danjuma. This is a truly outstanding man who has achieved a lot of remarkable things. Who is he and what exactly has he done for Nigeria? What are his most valuable contributions? Many exciting things are waiting for you in this TY Danjuma biography.
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General TY Danjuma biography
This man is clearly one of the most significant figures in the Nigerian army. Aside that, he is a political leader and a multi-billionaire businessman, who spends a lot of money on charity. There are a lot of things that people want to know about him but are unsure where to search. You should not worry – we have prepared the full biography of TY Danjuma, with all the up-to-date information about his life and career! We are certain that you are curious to know about all of his ventures. So, read our article and find out more thrilling facts about General TY Danjuma, his background, career, and family!
Early years and education
General TY Danjuma, who was born as Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma on December 9th, 1938, is a soldier, businessman, politician, and philanthropist, who always managed to combine all of his careers. His native town is Takum in Taraba State. He was born to into the family of Kuru Danjuma, the farmer who was also specialized in metal parts trade for farming purposes, and his wife Rufkatu Asibi.
The birth town of Theophilus Danjuma, Takum, was a farming community, where the crops like rice, yams, ]and cassava were widely cultivated all around the neighborhood. There were clans and families who were involved in the production of crops. Theophilus came from the respectable family – his father was very highly respected in the society for being a hardworking and dedicated peasant, and all the ancestors of his family were also very important people for Takum.
The young Theophilus Danjuma first started his basic education at the St. Bartholomew’s Primary School, which was situated in Wusasa. Later, he moved on to study at the Benue Provincian Secondary School, located in Katsina-Ala.
In this school, he was very popular among his classmates and teachers. He did sports and even was a captain of the school cricket team. In 1958, Theophilus received the Higher School Certificate. The young man decided to enroll at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology, situated in Zaria (Ahmadu Bello University).
In this school, he made a decision to study History, by also receiving the Northern Nigeria Scholarship. Still, Theophilus Danjuma was forced to leave the university halfway through studies, in 1960. He went on to enroll in the Nigerian Army, where his amazing military career took a start.
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General TY Danjuma, his army career, and business ventures
Theophilus Danjuma first arrived into the Nigerian Army being a second lieutenant, as well as the platoon commander in the Republic of Congo. In 1963, Danjuma joined the peace-keeping forces in Katanga Province, one of the Congo regions. Three years later, he managed to get promoted to the title of captain. 1966 was the year when Captain Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma was participating in the Nigerian Counter-Coup, leading the fourth battalion in the town of Mokola, Ibadan.
Only a year later, in 1967, Danjuma succeeded in getting a promotion to the lieutenant colonel. This was the time when civil war campaign started towards Enugu, the city which was later captured. Around the ending of Nigerian Civil War, Theophilus Danjuma once again led the battalion, which freed a few important people from detention, which was coming from the Ojukwu government. Among those, there were the first Speaker of the House of Representatives – Jaja Wachuku, as well as the first Foreign Affairs Minister and Ambassador to the United Nations.
1970 was a prominent year for Theophilus Danjuma – he paid a visit to the International Court Martial, which was held in Trinidad and Tobago. He was the official representative of Nigeria. TY Danjuma was appointed as a tribunal president in the important case. This case was brought against the failed coup attempt members, which happened in Trinidad and Tobago.
In 1971, Theophilus Danjuma was promoted to Colonel, and the next two years he spent in huge responsibility, court marshaling the officers of Army, who were proven to be guilty of the crimes like indiscipline and corruption.
After a few years of hard work, Theophilus Danjuma was once again promoted to Brigadier. He was also given an important position of General Officer Commanding. The next year, he became Chief of Army Staff, working along the Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo.
TY Danjuma played a very important part in the support of the President in resistance to the Dimka Coup, which took place in 1976. In 1979, Theophilus Danjuma finally decided to retire from the Nigerian army.
TY Danjuma leading the army in 1976. Photo: twitter.com
This was the full career path of TY Danjuma in the military. However, after his army retirement, he took up entrepreneurship and developed a few profitable businesses, which are still thriving. Here are the descriptions of the well-known business ventures which were lead by Theophilus Danjuma:
- Nigeria America Line (NAL). This business was established in 1979, shortly after General TY Danjuma retired from the Nigerian army. This is a sea trade business, which has grown bigger over the years. Initially, it started with the release of the ship named “Hannatu”, which was used to trade between Lagos and the Brazilian city Santos, when the trade agreement in Nigeria opened the main economic sea routes to the markets of South America. Later, NAL won the patronage from NNSC (Nigeria’s National Supply Company), which it brought the government goods from. The client base of NAL kept expanding throughout the years, including the Nigerian and international customers. It also became an official member of a few important conferences in Nigeria, North America, and South America. NAL started out with a staff of twelve people in 1979, all of whom were core indigenous. In 2009, the staff was close to 250 people. Nowadays, it is called the NAL-COMET Group, and it has the main office in Lagos and the branch offices in Port Harcourt, serving the seaports of Calabar, Onne, and Warri.
- COMET Shipping Agencies Nigeria LTD. This organization was established by Theophilus Danjuma in 1984, and the first purpose of it was acting as the agent of NAL. However, with time, COMET has grown and expanded. In 2005, this operator managed to acquire a “roll-in, roll-out” port in Lagos, and this made COMET the largest port operator in Africa which acts independently.
- South Atlantic Petroleum Ltd (SAPETRO). This is a company which specializes in exploring and producing oil in Nigeria. It was founded by General Danjuma in 1995. In February 1998, this company was awarded with the Oil Prospecting License 246 by the Nigerian Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
- NatCom Development & Investment Ltd. NatCom was created in 2016, and the General was announced to be a chairman during the board meeting. This is the network connection company, which provides internet connections in Nigeria, called Ntel.
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TY Danjuma political career
General Danjuma has been in Nigerian politics for about twenty years. He first stepped on Nigerian political arena in 1999, and a few of the key points in his career have been:
- The appointment as the Minister of Defense in the cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999)
- The appointment as Chairman for the investigative committee on the conflict in Warri (2003)
- The nomination for the Chairman of Presidential Advisory Council, under the active President Goodluck Jonathan (2010)
He always stood for democracy, as well as the Rule of Law. TY Danjuma was responsible for renaming the barracks and cantons in Nigeria after the civilian and living people.
TY Danjuma is Chairman of Victims’ Support Fund Committee. The main aim of this organization is supporting terrorism victims.
TY Danjuma Foundation
General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma also has his own foundation, which he established in December 2008. The main purposes of this organization are providing durable advantages by implementing various programs of development.
The TY Danjuma Foundation battles poverty in the Nigerian communities. The organization provides the basic amenities to people, as well as helps children, teenagers, and young adults get the necessary education that they need. It also provides the primary medical care to the indigent people.
Currently, the TY Danjuma Foundation is closely cooperating with more than fifty non-governmental organizations from all over Nigeria.
READ ALSO: Where are the NGOs in Nigeria that can give out loans without collateral?
Photo: newsexpressngr.com
TY Danjuma's family
Theophilus Danjuma has a very influential younger brother, whose name is Musa. Musa Danjuma is a very famous businessman, who works with his brother on some projects – for instance, COMET Shipping Agencies and Nigerian America Line Ltd.
Musa Danjuma is a billionaire who has managed to set his own business empire and balance it with his personal life. He was married to the gorgeous Nigerian actress Caroline Danjuma, and they have three children.
READ ALSO: Musa Danjuma biography
TY and Musa Danjuma. Photo: naijadefender.wordpress.com
TY Danjuma's wife and children
General TY Danjuma has a loving family. His wife is a very influential woman, just like him. TY Danjuma wife is called Daisy Ukpomwan Ehanire Danjuma (she goes by just Daisy Danjuma), and she is a senator. She was born on August 6th, 1952, and her native city is Benin City, Edo State.
In 1976, Daisy graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, where she studied Law. She also was a student of the Lagos Business School. 1977 was the year when Daisy was called to Nigerian Bar. After serving her NYSC, she became an Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Acceptances Ltd, where she served from 1977 to 1978. For ten years, from 1982 to 1992, Daisy was a Company Secretary and Legal Adviser at the Nigerian Television Authority.
She later ventured into politics and was elected as a Senator of Nigeria, the Representative of Edo South. During her time at the Senate, she was a member of CPA (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association), as well as many other parliament groups.
TY and Daisy Danjuma have been together for a very long time. They both are each other’s second marriage. Both TY and Daisy have children from their previous marriages. Their children are already grown and are establishing their own families. For instance, Yuki Omenai, Daisy’s son from his ex-husband Henry Omenai had a luxurious wedding ceremony with his sweetheart Omobolanle Moriam Rotimi a few years ago.
Another son of the senator, Osagie Omenai, also got married. And TY Danjuma’s son Ishaya got married to the beauty queen, Agbani Asenite Darego, who was the first African woman to win the Miss World competition in 2001. All of their children are closely involved in different kinds of business and are influential people in their respective fields.
It should also be mentioned that one of TY Danjuma's sons, Theo, is a very talented artist. He studied art in London, and now he has opened a lot of successful exhibitions in cooperation with other artists.
READ ALSO: Caroline Danjuma's biography and career
TY Danjuma and his wife Daisy. Photo: firstpost.ng
Hopefully, you learned all the things you wanted to know about TY Danjuma’s career successes and family life from this article.
READ ALSO: Top 5 philanthropists in Nigeria
Source: Legit.ng
