London University Honours Emir Sanusi, Three Others

SOAS University of London is honoring Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II,  (Sarkin Kano) and three other pioneering figures in the fields of law, literature, journalism, and finance at this year’s Graduation Ceremonies.

According to Director of SOAS University, Baroness Valerie Amos, the others include award-winning journalist Lindsey Hilsum, editor, broadcaster and critic, Margaret Busby and human rights lawyer, Nursyahbani Katjasungkana.

Baroness Valerie said the Emir of Kano would be honored as scholar, former banker and anti-corruption campaigner, His Highness Muhammad Sanusi II, CON (Sarkin Kano)

The Director of SOAS said: “Our honorary awardees this year are all remarkable people who have been pioneers and innovators and sought to bring about change in the world.’’

She said the awardees work has furthered the public’s understanding of conflict and humanitarian affairs; demonstrated how to tackle high-level corruption in often complex situations; paved the way for greater diversity in publishing; and fought for and gained recognition for women’s rights in Indonesia. Their achievements reflect the values which are important to us at SOAS and I am delighted to welcome them to our community.”

The University Director in a brief said Muhammad Sanusi II became the 14th Fulani Emir of Kano, Nigeria in June 2014.

He was appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2009 and led a campaign against high-level corruption in Nigerian government as well as pioneering the introduction of Islamic banking into the Nigerian banking sector.

Explaining further, she noted that alongside his anti-corruption work in the financial industry, Emir Sanusi pursued his scholarship in Islamic history, thought, and law.

The Emir continues to bring his wealth of expertise to resolving significant development challenges including public health, girl-child education, and reforms of Muslim family law as well as the systems of zakat and awqaf (endowments).

The awardee has received many awards including the Global Central Bank Governor of the Year 2011 from the Financial Times and will be awarded Honorary Doctorate by the university.

Similarly, she said Lindsey Hilsum is an award-winning Journalist and an International Editor for Channel 4 News who authored two books that include,  In Extremis; The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin and Sandstorm; Libya in the Time of Revolution.  For three decades she specialized in covering conflict and refugee movements, reporting from every continent bar Antarctica.

Also, prominent Indonesian lawyer Nursyahbani Katjasungkana has worked tirelessly for human rights throughout her career. She was the country prosecutor of the Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery (2000), General Coordinator of The International People’s Tribunal on 1965 Crimes against Humanity in Indonesia (2015) and recently she was a judge at the Permanent People’s Tribunal of Rohingnya (2017).

She added that the fourth awardee is a renowned editor, broadcaster and critic Margaret Busby OBE became Britain’s youngest and first black woman book publisher when in 1967 she co-founded Allison & Busby. She was editorial director for 20 years. She has campaigned for recognition of the need for and importance of diversity in publishing since the 1980s.