GLO/CNN'S AFRICAN VOICES FEATURES SULTAN OF SOKOTO TODAY
Television viewers across the globe will have the opportunity to watch Sultan of Sokoto, Muahammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, on this weekend's edition of CNN's African Voices, sponsored by Nigerian telecommunication giants, Globacom.
Sultan Abubakar will be the star guest on the programme, which runs on Saturdays, from 9. 30 to 10 a.m. and 3.30 to 4.00 p.m. There are also repeat broadcasts on Sunday from 9 to 1. 30 a.m. and10. 30 p.m. to 11 a.m. and on Monday from 11. 30 to 12 p.m. and 6. 30 to 7 p.m.
The Sultan was born on August 24, 1956 in Sokoto and is the 20th Sultan of Sokoto. He is the titular ruler of Sokoto in northern Nigeria, the head of Jama'atu Nasril Islam (Society for the Victory of Islam – JNI) and the president-general of the Nigerian National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
As Sultan of Sokoto, he is considered the spiritual leader of Nigeria's millions of Muslims. On November 2, 2006, Sa'adu Abubakar succeeded his brother, Mohammadu Maccido, who died in a plane crash. He is also a younger son of the 17th Sultan, Siddiq Abu Bakar dan Usuman, who held the Sultanate for over fifty years.
Sultan Abubakar had a distinguished military career, which began in 1975. He was commissioned a second lieutenant two years later. After that, he served in the elite Armoured Corps. He did military training overseas, including in India and Canada.
Globacom said Abubakar will, in this weekend's episode of African Voices, talk to CNN about his reign, religious issues and how his experiences in the military have prepared him for his current role.
The programme has featured several prominent Nigerians, who have distinguished themselves in their different fields. They include Kase Lawal, owner of CAMAC, a global oil considered to be one of the largest black-owned businesses in the United States; footballers Joseph Yobo and John Utaka; singer Nneka Egbuna and recently Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.