New Telegraph

The women are coming

Governance: Aisha, Okonjo-Iweala, Tinubu, Mohammed, others brave the odds

 

As the world marks this year’s International Women’s Day, Felix NWANERI, WALE ELEGBEDE and ANAYO EZUGWU report on Nigerian women, who have braved the odds to break the glass ceiling in politics and governance in the present dispensation

 

 

It is echoes of affirmative action in Nigeria as the world marks this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), today.

 

Observed every March 8, the day is used to celebrate the cultural, political, economic and social achievements of women. It also marks a call to action to achieve gender parity.

 

The day also helps people across the globe to reflect on the extraordinary roles played by women in almost every walk of life and celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women.

 

The theme of this year’s celebration is: “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.” No doubt, most countries across the world have made great advancements; gender equality remains an unfulfilled dream. According to the United Nations (UN), legal restrictions have kept 2.7 billion women from accessing the same choice of jobs as men.

 

As of 2019, less than 25 per cent of parliamentarians were women and one in three women experience genderbased violence. This year’s women’s day is totally different keeping in view the COVID-19 pandemic. This, perhaps, explains the theme of this year’s celebration, which is: “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.” The belief is that as nations initiate recovery plans to get out of the pandemic, it is time to end the marginalisation and exclusion of women and girls.

 

Those who hold this view insist that women must be given opportunities and responsibilities to play a proactive role in shaping important decisions as countries prepare recovery responses from the coronavirus pandemic. They further advanced that for such dream to become a reality, countries across the world, especially developing ones like Nigeria, must, first, break cultural, historic and socio-economic barriers that prevent the progress of women.

 

No doubt, some Nigerian women have made appreciable marks in the country’s polity, but it is still clamour for 35 per cent participation of women in governance across all tiers of government.

The belief is that improving women participation in government is necessary because it will help to strengthen the nation’s democracy. ItwouldberecalledthattheFederalGovernment, had in Year 2000 adopted a policy called the National Policy of Women to ensure that women have equal opportunity as men to participate in government. The policy also seeks to address the imbalance of women representation in the country and attempts to strike a balance.

 

However, like most government’s policies, its implementation has only been on paper as there has been little improvement in women participation in governance since 1999, when Nigeria returned to civil rule.

 

This explains why some stakeholders, particularly women right activists, have persistently insisted that government at all levels must address exclusion of women from governance.

 

To these stakeholders, the decline in the number of women in elective positions in the present political dispensation explains why the major political parties should see the necessity for the advancement of women representation in public positions. They also argued that government has a responsibility to define and increase the opportunity for women’s entry and growth into male-dominated careers.

 

No doubt, Nigerian women are still on the backbench in politics and governance at a time it is a global trend for women to be actively engaged, but some of them have braved the odds to break the glass ceiling.

 

Aisha Buhari

 

The President’s wife is a woman of immense clout, sophistication and one who understands political power and its usage.

 

Since she stepped into Nigeria’s seat of power, Aso Rock, with her husband in 2015, she has proved that she does not belong to the league of Nigerian leaders whose spouses are only seen but not heard.

She has resisted very attempt to make her remain in the shadow of her husband, President Muhammadu Buhari, and she even ensured that her husband had a rethink with his decision not to have a functional Office of the First Lady. On several occasions, she had publicly called to question the decisions of some of her husband’s allies and aides.

 

She has also remained vocal and critical about national issues, especially the running of her husband’s administration. Born of February 17, 1971, the First Lady is a cosmetologist, beauty therapist, author, and mother of five. Love or loath her, she is a different type of first lady and she will continue to shape events and issues in the country.

 

Dolapo Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s wife is always a delight to behold. Her carriage and mien is just like a dove. She is harmless, caring, courteous and supportive to her husband. Despite being raised with a silver spoon as a granddaughter of the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, she still exudes humility, grace, and candor.

 

She is a passionate woman, who places a premium on substance and value. The nation’s number two woman is quite influential around the corridors of power despite her delicate poise. She is the Executive Director of the Women’s Helping Hand Initiative, a refuge facility in Epe, Lagos, established in 2014, and a co-founder of the Orderly Society Trust.

 

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The former Minister of Finance recently proved to the world that something good would always come out Nigeria, when she assumed duty as the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). She served twice as Nigeria’s Finance minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) as well as briefly as Minister of Foreign Affairs, the first woman to hold both positions. She spent 25 years working at the World Bank as a development economist.

 

Apart from her new position at the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala is chairman of the Board of Gavi, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation. She is also on the boards of several advisory groups, including the Rockefeller Foundation, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Harvard University, the Oxford University Martin School Advisory Council, Mercy Corps, Women’s World Banking, the World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders Foundation and International Commission on Financing Global Education, among others.

 

 

 

Dr Okonjo-Iweala has been listed as one of the 50 Greatest World Leaders (Fortune, 2015); the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World (TIME, 2014); the Top 100 Global Thinkers (Foreign Policy, 2011 and 2012); the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World (Forbes, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014); the Top 3 Most Powerful Women in Africa (Forbes, 2012); the Top 10 Most Influential Women in Africa (Forbes, 2011); the Top 100 Women in the World (The Guardian, 2011); the Top 150 Women in the World (Newsweek, 2011); and the Top 100 most inspiring people in the World Delivering for Girls and Women (Women Deliver, 2011).

 

 

 

 

 

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), former lawmaker and a veteran broadcaster, has been in activity politics since 2003 when she was first elected as a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State. She was also re-elected in 2007 and 2011 respectively. As a lawmaker, she was the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity, as well as chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora Affairs. In 2015, she was appointed as the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.

Oby Ezekwesili

The former Minister of Solid Minerals and ex-Minister of Education has remained a leading advocate for good governance, social justice and equal rights for girl-child in Nigeria. She is a co-founder of Transparency International, where she served as one of the pioneer directors of the global anti-corruption body.

 

Subsequently, she served as the Vice-President of the World Bank’s Africa division from May 2007 to May 2012. Her campaign against the Chibok schoolgirl’s abduction in 2014 through the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) advocacy group drew global attention to the plight of all persons who have been abducted by terrorists in the country.

 

In October 2018, Ezekwesili declared interest to run for the office of the president of Nigeria on the platform of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN). On January 24, 2019, she stepped down from the presidential race owing to a divergence of values and visions with the leadership of the party.

 

Amina Mohammed

 

MsMohammedwasMinisterof Environment from November 2015 to December 2016, when she steered the country’s efforts on climate action, protecting the natural environment and conserving resources for sustainable development. Prior to this, she served as Special Adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning, where she was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

 

Before joining the UN Deputy Secretary- General, Ms Mohammed worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as Special Advisor on the Millennium Development Goals, providing advice on issues including poverty, public sector reform and sustainable development, and coordinating programmes worth $1 billion annually for MDG-related interventions.

Folashade Esan 

 

She is considered as the engine room of the current administration based on the critical role she plays in policy formulation and implementation as head of the federal bureaucracy. 56-year-old Esan, who graduated in 1987 as the best dental surgery student at the University of Ibadan, has satisfactorily served in varied positions in her civil service career before taking over the job of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

 

Natasha Akpoti

 

Although trained as a lawyer, Natasha Akpoti is also a social entrepreneur and politician. She was the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) at the 2019 Kogi Central Senatorial District election and subsequently represented the same party as candidate in the November 2019 Kogi State governorship election.

 

Akpoti came to national reckoning after presenting an investigative report to the National Assembly on March 1, 2018 on corrupt activities regarding the Ajaokuta Steel Mill. But her personality became popularised after the governorship election when she finished third behind the two bigger parties.

 

Aisha Yesufu

Aisha Yesufu is a socio-political activist, and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement, an advocacy group that brings attention to the abduction of over 200 girls, from a secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria, on 14 April 2014, by Boko Haram insurgents.

Yesufu was among the women protestors at Nigeria’s National Assembly, in the nation’s capital, Abuja, on 30 April 2014.

She has also been at the forefront of the #EndSARS movement, which draws attention to the excesses of a controversial police unit in the Nigeria Police Force, called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

 

Stella Oduah

 

Stella Oduah is a senator and former minister of Aviation. Oduah, who is a serving senator at the Ninth National Assembly, was first elected in 2015 to represent Anambra North Senatorial District. In 2015, she contested for the senato- rial election and won under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In the build-up to the 2019 general elections,

Oduah decamped from PDP to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and returned to PDP were she won reelection. She was appointed minister of Aviation in 2011 but was relieved of her duties as in 2014, following allegations of financial misappropriation. As a minister, Oduah initiated the Airport Remodeling Programme (ARP) of all 22 federally owned airports.

 

Uche Ekwunife

Senator Uche Ekwunife is a member of the Ninth Senate, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District of Anambra State. She is considered as one of the active lamakers in the Red Chamber. She was a two-term member of the House of Representatives as a representative of Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia federal constituency.

 

Ekwunife was first elected into the lower chamber in 2007 and won re-election in 2011.

 

In 2015, she contested for Anambra Central Senatorial District seat and won but was sacked by the court in December 2015. In 2019, Ekwunife staged a come to the Red Chambers after winning the senatorial election to represent Anambra Central Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 

Betty Apiafi

 

Betty Apiafi is a Senator and a former member of the House of Representatives. She represents River West Senatorial District in the Ninth National Assembly on the platform of the PDP.

 

She has also served as a member of the House of Representatives for Abua/ Odual-Ahoada East Federal Constituency of Rivers State from 2007 to 2019. She is the first female to represent a federal constituency and senatorial district in Rivers State at the National Assembly.

 

Oluremi Tinubu

The emergence of her husband, Bola Tinubu as governor of Lagos State launched her into political limelight. As a first lady, Mrs. Tinubu established the New Era Foundation, dedicated to establishing centres for all round development of young people and promotion of public awareness on environmental health and community service.

 

In 2011, she took the bold step to move into active politics by contesting and winning the Lagos Central Senatorial District seat. She won re-election to represent the senatorial district in 2015 and was elected for a third term in 2019.

 

She has been a quite notable voice in the Senate, leading to her sponsoring the amendment of the National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency (NOSDRA) law to empower the agency in the discharge of its duties.

 

Aishatu Dahiru

Aishatu Dahiru is a first term senator, representing Adamawa Central Senatorial District of Adamawa State in the Ninth National Assembly. She was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). BeforeherelectionintotheRedChambers, Dahiruwasamemberof theHouse of Representativesfrom2011to2015, when she representedthepeople of Yola North/ YolaSouthandGireifederalconstituency on the platform of the PDP.

Akon Etim Eyakenyi

 

Senator Akon Etim Eyakenyi, who represents Akwa-Ibom South Senatorial District of Akwa-Ibom State on the platform of PDP, is a woman of steel. She was a former minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

 

Apart from serving as a minister, Eyakenyi is a consummate civil servant, who grew through the ranks of civil service. She served as a Senior Education Officer in the state from 1994 to 1999. Subsequently, she served as a member of the state’s Secondary Education Board from 1999 to 2000. Eyakenyi also served as a commissioner for Industry, Commence and Tourism during the administration of Governor Victor Attah.

 

Abiodun Olujimi

 

Senator Abiodun Olujimi is regarded in many quarters as one of Nigeria’s most experienced female politicians. The two-term senator, who represents   Ekiti South Senatorial District, is a former deputy governor, former commissioner for Works and infrastructure in Ekiti State. In 2015, Olujimi contested for the senatorial seat and won. In 2019, she initially lost her seat to the candidate of APC, but the National Assembly Election Tribunal and the Appeal Court later declared her winner of the Ekiti South Senatorial District.

Nkeiruka Onyejeocha

Nkeiruka Onyejeocha is a member of the House of Representatives, representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia State. She was first elected into Green Chamber in 2007.

She won reelection in 2015 and 2019. She has sponsored several bills and moved motions that have improved the lives of ordinary citizens and help safeguard their rights. In 2017, she sponsored a bill that makes emergency treatment of victims of gunshot obligatory and compulsory for hospitals without demanding or delaying treatment to first obtain police reports before commencing treatment in emergency situations.

 

Zainab Gimba

Zainab Gimba was elected to represent Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge federal constituency of Borno State in the 2019 elections. Before then, she served as commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Youth Empowerment in the state from 2011 to 2014. She also served as commissioner for Universal Basic Education Board between 2014 and 2015. She was appointed as commissioner for Water Resources from 2015 to 2018.

 

Beni Lar

Beni Lar is a House of Representatives representing Lantang North/South federal constituency in Plateau state. She was first elected into the House in 2007 and in 2019 she was re-elected. In 2008, she served as the House Committee Chairman on women’s Affairs.

 

Lar has also supported emergency funding for the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), increased penalties for child abuse and the creation of a National Child Protection and Enforcement Agency.

Khadija Bukar

Abba-Ibrahim Khadija Bukar Abba-Ibrahim is a three time member of the House of Representatives, representing Damaturu/ Gujba/Gulani/Tarmuwa federal constituency of Yobe State. She was first elected in 2007 and was re-elected in 2011 and 2019.

 

Abba has also served as Commissioner for Transport and Energy in Yobe State. In 2016, she was appointed the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs by President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

Taiwo Olukemi

Oluga Taiwo Olukemi Oluga represents Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan federal constituency of Osun State. Before becoming a lawmaker, she served as Special Adviser on Tourism and Culture under the administration of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the state. Oluga was part of the national delegates of APC convention in 2014 and she was also made the coordinator for APC female aspirants in the Osun State. She was appointed as board member, Osun State Library in 2014.

Zainab Ahmed

Regarded as a thoroughbred professional with immense influence across board, 60-year-old Ahmed was appointed Minister of State for Budget and Planning in 2015 and later substantive Minister of Finance in 2018 following the resignation of Kemi Adeosun.

She holds a degree in Accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun. She once served as the executive secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

As Minister of Finance, she introduced a raft of proposals aimed at bolstering government revenues and stimulating the small business sector in the country’s dwindling economy. Notable was the hike in the rate of Value Added Tax to 7.5 per cent from five per cent to bolster non-oil revenues.

Gbemisola Saraki

The current Minister of State for Transportationisthedaughterof Olusola Saraki, Second Republic Senate Leader, and a sibling of Bukola Saraki, President of the 8th Senate. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 1999 to represent Asa/Ilorin West Federal Constituency of Kwara State and later as senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District. She tried to succeed her brother, Bukola, as governor of Kwara in 2011 but lost despite having the backing of her father.

Pauline Tallen

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development is a popular politician from Plateau State who has earlier served as minister and deputy governor in her state. The 60-year-old contested the governorship election in 2011, but lost to Jonah Jang. She is the first female to be a deputy governor in the Northern Region.

 

Sharon Ikeazor

Ikeazor was the Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) before her appointment as Minister of State for Environment in 2019. In 2011, she was elected the National Women Leader of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and later emerged APC’s interim National Women Leader after the merger that produced the ruling party.

 

Sadiya Farouq

 

The 46-year-old Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, is considered as one of the highly influential in the current political power-game in the country. She is by age, the youngest minister in the current federal cabinet. She had earlier served as a federal commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.

 

She was also the National treasurer of the CPC from 2011 to 2013, and Interim National Treasurer of the APC (2013-2014), before her appointment as member, APC Presidential Campaign Council where she served in the directorates of election planning and monitoring, field operations, and fundraising.

 

Mariam Katagum

 

Amb. Katagum from Bauchi State is the current Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment. She had earlier served as Nigeria’s ambassador and permanent delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

 

Ramatu Tijani

 

50-year-old Ramatu Tijjani was the national women leader of the APC before she was appointed Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory in 2019. She was the first female National Vice Chairman (North Central) of the then All Peoples Party (APP). In 2010, she became the National Woman Leader of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and in June 2014, National Woman Leader of APC.

Cecelia Ezeilo

She is the deputy governor of Enugu State and a legal practitioner by training. She worked in the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) as a programme producer and presenter before she joined active politics. In 2011, she was elected into Enugu State House of Assembly as the member representing Ezeagu Constituency.

 

After a decent first tenure as his deputy, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi renominated Ezeilo for a second tenure in office. Ezeilo holds the record as the first female deputy governor of Enugu State.

 

Hadiza Balarabe

 

Balarabe is the firstelectedfemaledeputy governor in the history of Kaduna. She was until her selection as running mate by Governor Nasir el-Rufai, the ExecutiveSecretaryof theKadunaStatePrimary Health Care Development Agency. Priortojoining theKadunaStategovernment,

Balarabe was the Director of Public HealthintheFederalCapitalTerritory. A former senior registrar at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Balarabe studied Medicine at the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, and graduated in 1988.

 

Salako-Oyedele Noimot

 

Noimot Salako Oyedele, a multitalented professional with over 30 years of proven records of experience in Consulting, Contracting and Real Estate sectors is one of the most influential deputy governors in Nigeria. Her choice as running mate by Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, came against all permutations and that quickly sent a signal that she is a round peg in a round hole.

 

Ipalibo Harry-Banigo

 

Harry-Banigo Ipalibo epitomizes courage and inner strength. She is a medical doctor and the first female deputy governor of Rivers State. Throughherfirsttermtenurewithher principal, Governor Nyesom Wike, she had a seamless working relationship and that shot up her influence in the political circle. Expectedly, the same cordiality has picked up during their second term.

 

Bisi Fayemi

 

She is the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi.

Aside from her role as dutiful wife of the governor, she is an intellectual of note who wields within and outside the Fountain of Knowledge State.

She recently bagged the 2018 Zik Prize for Humanitarian Leadership alongside the former Ghanaian President, John Mahama and immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who won in the political leadership category.

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