His students and contemporaries were emirs and ministers. Some are alive to this day. The erudite, eminent scholar and one of the few surviving pre-independence colonial-era teachers in Nigeria is 97 years old today.

The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Zurkainainin Gambari plans to honour this unique Nigerian during an elaborate ceremony that has now been postponed because of the eid-el-kabir festival. But a private celebration is planned in his house at "Ile- Gogo", Idi-Alaro Compound of Baruba in the Balogun Gambari area of Ilorin.

Abubakar Lah was born at Elah a Royal Niger Depot, near Patigi, in 1912 but recorded as 1919. He was enrolled into Patigi Elementary school with his elder brother, Muhammadu Mazhi in 1925. This was so since his father, Iliasu, did not intend enrolling any his child into a "white man's" school, but as fate would have it, an Igbo colleague at work with Iliasu who were staff of Royal Niger Company prevailed on him.

His teachers at the elementary school were: Mallam Idrisu, Mallam Abdulraheem, Dangana, Mallam Muhammadu Mu'azu and Mallam Mamman Gana Kpada. While his school mates were his elder brother Muhammadu Mazhi, Jibrin Tankpafu, Jibrin Rifun, Zubairu Gada and Ahman Patigi who later became Regional Minister of Health.

In 1928, Alhaji Abubakar Lah, Muhammadu Mazhi and Ahman Patigi succeeded at examination and went on to Ilorin Middle School. Muhammadu Mazhi stopped at middle II to take appointment with Patigi Native Aauthority as assistant treasurer while Ahman Patigi completed his middle IV with him but could not go to Katsina College as he joined N.A as secretary of Patigi Emirate.

His teachers at Ilorin Middle School were T.S. Phillips, J.B. Gott, Mahammadu Gobir (nicknamed Alfa Lisafil i.e a Mathematician) Yahaya Madaki Usman Zango, Aremu, Suleiman Bolugi, Suleiman Olontele, Abdul Salam Olomada and Jima Gegele.

His school mates at Ilorin Middle were: Muhammadu Mazhi, Ahman Patigi, Mora Kaiama (later Abdurahman Mora) and many others he does not remember now. But at the school, because of his intelligence, he got accelerated promotions twice where he left his mates behind by tow years.

His promotions so happened that in his first year 1928, he spent just three months instead of a year. In the second year he spent just one month, 1929 and in his third year he spent nine months and proceeded to middle four which is the final year by April, 1930 up to March, 1931, he was qualified on promotion to proceed to Katsina College with Jimiada Patigi and Dasuki Kure of Ita Ajia area of Ilorin.

But his ambition to be in Katsina College that year was scuttled as Ilorin Native Authority had no enough in its treasury to sponsor the three of them and therefore preference was given to the two who were earlier ahead of him and he was asked to be patient until 1932, but the unusual occurred as that year Katsina College did not take any student and he had to wait till 1933, when he and Abdurahman Mora eventually succeeded to be in the college. Other students they met there were from other parts of northern provinces which were thirty four in number and they were divided into two classes: upper five with fourteen students and lower five with twenty students.

The school set an intelligence test. The fourteen of them in upper five passed and only two out of twenty in lower five passed. The two that were lucky to pass were: Alhaji Umar Gwandu and Muhammed Pate Kafin Madaki who joined them in upper five and their number rose to sixteen.

His teachers at Katsina College were: T.S. Phillips, Mr. Price, Mr. Craigg, Captain Tailor, Mr. BrookHunt, W.S. de G. Rankin, Atienborough, Temietan (an Itsekiri), John Lorry Culson, Mr. Charles Graham and Mallam Yazidu Zayyanah.

Abubakar Lah at ninety seven remembers some of his colleagues at Katsina College in 1933:

(1) Alh. Muhammadu Inuwa Wada - 2nd Defence Minister of Nigeria, Magajin Garin Kano;

(2) Alh. Muhammadu Bida, Iyan Sokoto, now late

(3) Alh. Umaru Gwandu -1st Speaker Northern House Assembly Kaduna - late

(4) Alh Ibrahim Tako -2nd Minster of Army next to Defence Min Galadiman Nupe - late

(5) Alh. Zannah Bukar Dipcharima -Fed Min. of Transport - late

(6) Alh. Abdurahman Mora -later Amb. to Pakistan - late

(7) Alh. Muh. Pate KafinMadaki later Chairman Nigeria Railways - late.

(8) Alh. (Amb) Ahmadu Daura - late

(9) Alh. Umar Babura Rigonal Min. of Agric. -late

(10) Alh. Ibrahim Saidu (Formerly Ibrahim Kajuru) - late

(11) Alh. Muh. Lawal (Formerly Muh. Borno) - late

(12) Alh. Raji Abdullah of Okene - late

(13) Alh. Bissala Giwa (Formerly Bissala Zaria) - late

(14) Alh Tanko Soba - late

(15) Alh. Abdulkadir Makama of Kano - late

(16) Alh. Abdu Bida (son to elder brother of Muh. Ndayako Emir of Bida) -late

(17) Abdu Dutse. - late