Compiled by Gabriel Atumeyi
International Women’s Day is marked annually across the world to celebrate women, their contribution to the growth of the society, as well as their challenges. As its way of celebrating women, 365Daily put the spotlight on 10 out of the numerous outstanding Nigerian women making excellent contributions to the society in their various fields of endeavours.
(1) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Obviously the rave of the moment and poster ‘girl’ for female excellence, Okonjo-Iweala, was recently appointed the Director General of the World Trade Organiaation (WTO), making her a trail blazer as first woman and first black African to occupy that position.
Prior to that, she served two terms as Finance Minister of Nigeria (2003–2006, 2011–2015) under President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan respectively. She was the first woman to serve as the country’s Finance Minister, the first woman to serve in that office twice, and the only Finance Minister to have served under two different presidents. In 2005, Euromoney named her global Finance Minister of the year.
Before becoming a Minister in the Nigerian government, Okonjo Iweala had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, scaling the ranks to the number two position of Managing Director, Operations (2007–2011).
(2) Amina .J. Mohammed
Amina Mohammed is currently serving as the fifth Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Before her appointment at the UN, she was Nigeria’s Minister of Environment from 2015 to 2016 and was a key player in the Post-2015 Development Agenda process.
Between 1981 and 1991, Mohammed worked with Archcon Nigeria, an architectural design firm in association with Norman and Dawbarn United Kingdom. In 1991, she founded Afri-Projects Consortium, and from 1991 to 2001, she was its Executive Director.
From 2002 until 2005, Mohammed coordinated the Task Force on Gender and Education for the United Nations Millennium Project.
Mohammed later acted as the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In 2005, she was charged with the coordination of Nigeria’s debt relief funds toward the achievement of the MDGs.
Mohammed later became the Founder and CEO of the Centre for Development Policy Solutions and as an Adjunct Professor for the Masters in Development Practice programme at Columbia University. During that time, she served on numerous international advisory boards and panels, including the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development. She also chaired the Advisory Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Global Monitoring Report on Education (GME).
(3) Aisha Yesufu
Aisha Yesufu is a rights activist, and co-convener of the #BringBackOurGirls Movement, an advocacy group that brought attention to the abduction of over 200 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria, on 14 April 2014, by the terrorist group, Boko Haram.
In 2020, in the height of the #EndSARS protest calling for an end to police brutality, she was at the frontline and became the face and heroine of the protest, garnering thousands of followers and well wishers on social media.
She is also an ardent critic of the Muhammadu Buhari-led government which she describes as incompetent.
(4) Abiodun Christine Olujimi
She is a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Ekiti South constituency and ex-Minority Leader of the Nigerian Senate. She was a board member of Nigerian Communications Commission who started her career as broadcaster/journalist. During her career as a journalist, she worked with the Nigerian Tribune, Nigerian Post and Telecommunication, Nigerian Television Authority, the Delta Steel Company, Reflex Concept, DBN Television and was the Manager of DBN TV from 1993 to 1997.
In 2002, she joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and began her sojourn in politics. In 2003, she was appointed the Special Assistant to the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, from where she was elected to the Federal House of Representatives. She became the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State with Governor Ayo Fayose in 2005. Olujimi attained other great heights in politics, including Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in her state
Abiodun Olujimi is regarded as one of the most experienced female politicians in Nigeria.
(5) Senator Uche Ekwunife (Iyom)
Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife is a Nigerian Politician and member of the 9th Nigerian Senate representing the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District of Anambra State. She is one of the most active female Senators in the House.
Ekwunife is woman’s woman who has made her mark in the male dominated politics of Anambra State.
She began her political career in the Fourth Republic. In 2007, after two unsuccessful attempts, she was elected as a representative for Anambra’s Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia constituency in the House of Representatives. She was one of 11 women elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2011 when the Lower House was nearly 95% male.
In 2015, she was elected to the Nigerian Senate as one of the six women elected to the 8th National Assembly. However, in December 2015, her seat was declared vacant and she eventually lost it to Senator Victor Umeh.
In 2019, she again contested and won the Senatorial election to return to the Senate. She is currently eyeing the governorship of Anambra State at the November 6 2021 gubernatorial election.
(6)Ibukun Awosika
Ibukun Awosika is the Chairman, Board of Directors, First Bank of Nigeria Limited. She is also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Chair Centre Group.Born as the third child of seven children in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, Ibukun completed her primary and secondary school education at St. Paul’s African Church Primary School, Lagos and Methodist Girls’ High School, Yaba, respectively before she proceeded to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where she graduated with a B.Sc in Chemistry. She holds post graduate and MBA certificates upon the completion of several business programmes at the Lagos Business School and IESE Business School – University of Navarra.
A fellow of the African Leadership Initiative and Aspen Global Leadership Network, Ibukun is a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, member of the board of Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund and former Chairperson, Board of Trustees of Women in Management, Business and Public Service. In 2011, she co-founded the Afterschool Graduate Development Centre, a career centre established in order to checkmate the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria.
On September 7, 2015, Ibukun became the first woman to be appointed Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria following the resignation of Prince Ajibola Afonja.
Ibukun Awosika is member of IESE’s International Advisory Board (IAB). She also sits on the board of Digital Jewel Limited and Cadbury Nigeria Plc.
(7) Mo Abudu
Mosunmola Abudu, popularly called Mo Abudu, is a Nigerian media mogul. She has been described by Forbes as “Africa’s Most Successful Woman”, and rated as one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Global Television” by ‘The Hollywood Reporter’.
Mo Abudu started her professional career as a recruitment consultant in 1987 with the Atlas Recruitment Consultancy firm in the UK, from where she moved to Starform Group in 1990. She returned to Nigeria in 1993 and was head-hunted by Arthur Andersen to head the Human Resources and Training for oil giant, ExxonMobil. She is the founder of Vic Lawrence & Associates Limited. She went to create, produce and present Moments with Mo, later founded a television station (EbonyLife Television) and has been producing entertainment contents till date.
(8) Rinu Oduala
Rinu Oduala, also known as Savvy Rinu, is a popular Nigerian human rights activist and brand strategist. The self acclaimed iVocate for humanity became known for her voice towards the #EndSARS protest.
She joined the Nigerian Youth as one of the lead voices protesting against the injustice of police brutality in the country.
Her involvement in the protest against police brutality in Nigeria, has made her popular with thousands of followers on social media.
Rinu expresses herself much better across the streets and all social media platforms. She stands by her words while showing how passionate she can be when it comes to the affairs of the nation.
She was on the Lagos State EndSARS panel but stepped down from the panel, citing insincerity by the government after banks accounts of protesters, including hers, were frozen on the behest of the Federal Government.
(9) Dr. Ola Orekunrin
Also known as Olamide Brown, she is a British-Nigerian medical doctor, healthcare entrepreneur and founder of the Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Group and Director Greentree Investment Company.
After graduation, Ola worked for a short period of time in the National Health Service, United Kingdom. With her specialised training in aviation medicine, she pioneered West Africa’s first air-operated emergency medical services in Lagos, Nigeria called Flying Doctors Nigeria Ltd.
Ola is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. She was listed among Young Global leaders by World Economic Forum in 2013.
At the height of the Corona Virus Pandemic, Ola and her FDHIC team launched a COVID-19 mobile testing booth which reduces the need for as much PPE and minimises the risk of healthcare worker infections by providing a barrier between the potentially infected patient.
(10) Kiki Mordi
Nkiru Mordi is a Nigerian investigative journalist, media personality, filmmaker and writer.
She is currently a BBC Africa Eye reporter and the head of presenting with WFM 91.7. In 2017, she started an online petition to end police extortion and exploitation after some Nigerian policemen invaded their home and accused her and her boyfriend of being cultists. In 2015, she was nominated for The Most Promising Young Presenter (TV/Radio) at the Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards. In 2016, she won the award of Outstanding Radio Programme Presenter (South-South) at the Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards. She was nominated for the On-air Personality of the Year (Female) at the Scream All-Youth Awards. On 3 November 2019, she was nominated for The Future Awards Africa in Prize for Journalism category.
Recently, Ms Mordi was named the 2020 winner of the Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling for her role in the BBC Sex For Grade documentary.