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7 Nigerian Female Heroines You May Have Forgotten

Nigeria like any other country have some people that fought for her existence and helped build the ‘Giant Of Africa’ as we know it today.

Most times though, we tend to focus more on and celebrate the male figures, overlooking the powerful females that gave their best for this country.

So for our #TBT today, we give you a list of our top 7 Nigerian Female Heroines:

  1. Olufumilayo Ransome Kuti

Mrs Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a prominent leader in her time. She was a teacher, political and women’s right activist who strongly fought against the then military government over wrong practices and for the rights of women. She was one of the few women relevant in the country’s political scene as well as the first Nigerian lady to drive in Nigeria.

  1. Margaret Ekpo

This respected women’s right activist was one of the first set of female politicians in Nigeria. She tirelessly fought for women’s interest in the country and earned major political accolades in the nation. Margaret Ekpo held several political positions and she used her influence positively to the growth of women’s rights in the country. The airport in Calabar was named after her in 2001.

  1. Hajiya Gambi Sawaba

This brave woman championed the fight against gender-related injustice and social inequalities in Northern Nigeria as far back as the early 1950s. She was also a part of the political tussle that led to the country’s independence in 1960. She didn’t allow her low level of education hinder her from fighting vigorously for a change and the liberation of women and children from unfavorable customs and traditions.

  1. Kudirat Abiola

A powerful force in Nigeria’s road to democracy, Kudirat Abiola was a thorn in the flesh of the military government. After 1993 Presidential election results were annulled by the military government, she fought endlessly for the actualization of a democratic rule, many times defying military decrees and sanctions. She was a source of strength and inspiration to many Nigerians.

  1. Sade Thomas-Fahm

Leaving the political scene, this woman, Mrs Folashade Thomas-Fahm was the first fashion designer in Nigeria. When she opened ‘Shade’s Boutique’, she became the first person to own a boutique I the entire country. This woman was the go to stylist back in the days and she created her own indigenous style of clothing designs which have gone on to become our national clothing symbols today (she was even the originator of the popular ‘boubou’ style in female clothing).

  1. Florence Nwapa

Florance Nwapa was a Nigerian author who was popularly known for her writings about the customs of the Igbo people from a woman’s point of view. She became the first African female writer to be published internationally in English language in 1966. She was also Africa’s first female publisher when she founded the “Florence Nwapa Company/Tana Press”.

  1. Hadiza Ladi Kwali

Ladi Kwali was the first woman to appear on the Naira note when she was placed on the twenty naira note. She is widely recognized as the mother of modern pottery in Nigeria. She was so good in her pottery making that she became widely recognized in Europe and all across Africa. She was awarded an MBE (member of the Order of the British Empire) in 1962 and the national honor of an OON (Officer of the Order of the Niger) in 1981.

So that is our top 7 Nigerian Female Heroines. Do you know of any other person that should be on the list?

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