Umar Aminu Yandaki
Institution: Northwestern University
Umar Aminu Yandaki is a PhD student in African History at Northwestern University. His research focuses on the material and cultural significance of ancient city gates in Northern Nigeria, particularly Katsina. He is interested in exploring how these structures shaped urban life and mediated global interactions from the 18th century, when Katsina was a key player in Trans-Saharan trade, through to the 20th century, when the city became a testing ground for British colonial innovations. Yandaki investigates lost material culture and practices linked to these transitional spaces, bridging material history with wider social changes. His academic excellence has earned him several awards, including the 2018 Wazirin Sokoto Junaidu Prize for best History graduate at Usmanu Danfodiyo University and the George Romani Prize for the best History research paper by a First Year Graduate Student at Northwestern University.