Zakariya, Amos Umaru (1943–1986)

Amos Umaru Zakariya, a church administrator in Nigeria, was born to a polygamous family of Kiyani tribe in 1943 in Kadamo, Plateau State, Nigeria. After converting to Christianity, his immediate older brother, Kaura, was known by his baptismal name, Zakariya, which Amos adopted as his family name.¹

Amos Zakariya attended Jengre Seventh-day Adventist Primary School between 1951 and 1956. Upon the completion of standard six, he gained admission to Government Clerical School Oturkpo in 1957.² After his professional training in clerical and secretarial studies, he returned to Jengre where he was employed in 1958 by Pastor A. D. Roberts as a clerk for the Northern Nigeria Mission. He remained in this position until the headquarters of the mission was moved to Bukuru. In August 1961, he enrolled in the business education program at the Adventist College of West Africa (ACWA) from which he graduated with a Diploma in Accountancy in 1965.³

Between 1965 and 1979 Zakariya was employed as the deputy bursar of ACWA. During this time, he married Zilla, the daughter of Pastor Filibus Kakwi, in 1968. In 1979, he left ACWA and accepted an appointment with the Northern Nigeria Government in Kaduna. He later worked for the Plateau Agricultural Development Project⁴ before he returned to denominational service as secretary-treasurer of the North Nigeria Mission in 1985.⁵ He was the first national employed by the mission and was responsible for organizing a robust accounting system for it. Zakariya was working for the North Nigeria Mission until his sudden death in 1986.⁶ He was survived by his wife, Zilla, one daughter, Ladidi and three sons: Maitala, Danjuma, and Paul.

Sources

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1985-1986.

Notes

1. Danladi Zakariya, Amos Zakariya’s younger brother, interview by author, Jengre, Plateau State, Nigeria, June 30, 2021.↩

2. Ibid.↩

3. Ibid.↩

4. Ibid.↩

5. “North Nigeria Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986), 43.↩

6. Amos Zakariya’s funeral program, North East Nigeria Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1986.↩