An haifi Alhaji Shehu Shagari a
kauyen Shagari a shekarar 1925, kuma shi ne da na shida ga mahaifinsa
Aliyu, magajin kauyen Shagari, wanda manomi ne, dan kasuwa yana kuma
kiwo.
Allah ya yi wa mahifinsa rasuwa yana dan shekara biyar da haihuwa.Alhaji Shehu Shagari ya fara karatun kur'ani tun yana dan shekara hudu, kuma daga bisani ya je makarantar Elimentari da ke garin Yabo kusa da kauyen Shagari, daga nan kuma ya tafi makarantar Middle a Sokoto, daga nan kuma ya je kwaleji ta Kaduna.
Bayan da ya kammala karatun sakandirensa, Alhaji Shehu Shagari ya yi koyarwa a makarantun middle daban-daban a matsayin malamin kimiyya da ma tarihi.
Tun yana kwaleji, Shagari ya fara nuna sha'awar shiga siyasa, inda a shekarar 1946 shi da Malam Gambo Abuja suka kafa wata kungiyar matasa a Sokoto, kuma sun samu goyan bayan dattijai kamar Sir Ahmadu Bello da Ibrahim Gusau da kuma Malam Ahmadu Dabbaba.
A shekarar 1948 ne kuma aka amince da a hade dukkanin kungiyoyin siyasar yankin zuwa kungiyar NPC wadda daga bisani ta zama jam'iyyar da ta tsaya takara a zaben shekarar 1959.
Kafin wannan shekarar ne aka zabi Shagari a matsayin wakilin mazabar Kudu-maso Kudancin Sokoto, kuma a shekarar 1958, an zabe shi a matsayin sakataren majalisar Firaminista, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
Daga bisani Shagari ya rike mukaman minista daban-daban da suka hada da na ci gaban tattalin arziki (1960), da na kula da harkokin cikin gida (1962) da kuma na ayyuka da safiyo (1965).
Bayan juyin mulkin farko da sojoji suka yi, Alhaji Shehu Shagari ya koma gida Sokoto.
Da hawan janar Gowon ya bai wa Shagari ministan kula da harkokin tattalin arziki, daga bisani kuma aka ba shi ministan kudi.
Shehu Shagari yazama shugaban kasar Nijeriya a watan Oktoban shekarar 1979, yayi mulki har zuwa Disamban shekarar 1983, wanda soji suka kwace mulki a hunnunsa, a jogorancin Muhammadu Buhari. Shagari shine shugaban Nijeriya da yahau mulki ta sanadiyar zabe na farko. Olusegun Obasanjo ne ya bayar da mulkin zuwa ga farin kaya, a dalilin suka da matsi da mulkin sojojin ke fuskanta, ga rashin yin katabus, ganin hakan ne dai yasa Obasanjon ya bayar da mulkin amma ba'a kai koina ba sai sojojin suka sake dawowa suka kwace mulki daga Shagarin, inda suka zargi mulkinsa da cin hanci da rashawa, hakane ne dai yakaiga Muhammadu Buhari ga zama shugaban kasar a wancan lokaci.
