Dr. Bukar Usman at 83: A Birthday Marked by Quiet Grace and Global Goodwill
By Jerry Adesewo
Dr. Bukar Usman turned 83 on December 10, 2025, and if the day offered any lesson, it was that significance does not always arrive with spectacle. Instead, the milestone was marked with quiet dignity, intimate moments, and an outpouring of goodwill that stretched far beyond the walls of his home.
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According to a personal account later shared by the octogenarian scholar and public intellectual, the day began without ceremony, in keeping with his long-held personal and cultural values. There was no elaborate celebration. Rather, the morning opened with a simple but deeply symbolic moment in the kitchen, where his wife, Dupe, offered birthday wishes followed by prayers for good health and long life. Other members of the household followed tradition, kneeling to greet and congratulate him.
As the day unfolded, the warmth of the occasion revealed itself through human encounters both expected and incidental. Tradesmen who regularly worked in the household—among them the family plumber, carpenter, and television technician—stopped by with greeting cards and modest gifts. One of the visitors presented a neatly packaged collection of everyday items, all bearing Dr. Usman’s name, a gesture that spoke more of respect than obligation.
Friends and long-time associates also paid courtesy visits. A former Nigerian ambassador and close family friend came to pray with him and encourage him to continue his intellectual and cultural engagements. Another visitor, a retired general, spent time discussing national affairs and current events, later realising—almost incidentally—that the visit coincided with Dr. Usman’s birthday. What followed was an exchange of warm congratulations and concern for the state of the nation.
Food, too, found its way quietly into the day’s narrative. A family friend arrived bearing masa and fried chicken, adding a familiar communal texture to the otherwise restrained celebration.
If the physical visits were modest, the digital and written tributes were expansive. From Abuja to Lagos, Kano to Enugu, and from Europe to North America, messages poured in through phone calls, text messages, emails, poems, and written tributes. They came from public institutions, corporate organisations, literary colleagues, jurists, diplomats, family members, and friends—many of whom spoke not merely of age, but of service, mentorship, culture, and legacy.
Several messages reflected Dr. Usman’s influence in public service, literature, cultural preservation, and mentorship, while others dwelt simply on gratitude for his humanity and generosity of spirit. His daughters abroad sent heartfelt messages from the United States and Spain, adding a personal and familial dimension to the global chorus of goodwill.
Later in the evening, Dr. Usman went for a photo session, accompanied by his wife, a household member, and his daughter, Hadizat, who came along with her one-year-old daughter, Morayo. Among the photographs taken was one featuring Dr. Usman and his granddaughter—a quiet visual marker of continuity across generations.
The day closed at home with a simple takeaway meal. A final personal gesture came when his wife presented him with a birthday gift—a piece of cloth intended for a jumper. His daughter Zara, who had just returned from boarding school, added a lighthearted moment by wishing him a happy birthday even before stepping out of the car, prompting playful banter that brought laughter to the end of the day.
The goodwill did not end on December 10. Messages continued in the days that followed. Notably, a delegation from the Bura Women Development Association (BUWDA) paid a visit on December 14, presenting prayers, songs, and a large roll-up banner bearing Dr. Usman’s portrait and words describing him as a mentor, cultural icon, and man of integrity. The delegation’s observation that he appeared healthier than during their previous visit was received with quiet appreciation.
Taken together, the account reveals a birthday defined not by noise or excess, but by reflection, gratitude, and the steady accumulation of relationships built over the course of decades. At 83, Dr. Bukar Usman’s celebration became less about marking time and more about acknowledging a life lived in service, sustained by faith, family, and enduring human connection.