Nigeria is no doubt blessed with beautiful women across her numerous tribes. Statistically, researchers all over the world agree to the fact that Nigeria is an African country that is home to many of the most beautiful African women. That is why most Nigerian girls are sought after everywhere they go around the globe. Nigeria is an African country of many first and the Northerners are also not excluded from all these attributes. The Hausas are the largest ethnic group in Africa and the second largest language after Arabic…. The Fulani and Hausa cultural similarities as a Sahelian people however allowed for significant integration between the two groups. Northern Nigeria women are also very hardworking and productive. Some are into politics while some are behind mega businesses holding it forth for their husbands. Hausa/Fulani women are very beautiful and you can easily tell where they are from when you sight them. In the north they dominate major parties across the states, hardly will any A-list party take place and you will not see them there. They have a unique and beautiful way of dressing such that they always call for attention in any gathering. Below are some of the wives of the super-rich men dominating the social scene. Put together by City People Society Editor, TAYO FAJORIN OYEDIJI (08111811219).
On this list is Aisha Halilu Buhari, the First Lady of Nigeria and wife of President Muhammadu Buhari. The pretty woman has many things up her sleeves. Her social calendar is very full because everyone wants her to be at their events but she goes to the A-list parties only. She is one of the very prominent faces we see at big events in Nigeria. She is a cosmetologist, beauty therapist and author. For years, she has run a successful business as the founder/managing director of Hanzy Spa and principal of Hanzy Beauty Institute, a beauty salon in Kaduna and Abuja. Aisha is a resource person to the National Basic Technical Education (NBTE) on beauty therapy and cosmetology. Aisha closed her beauty salon following the emergence of her husband as president of Nigeria.
Also on this list is ever dashing Munirat Marwa, the beautiful wife of Brig-General Buba Marwa (rtd), the former military administrator of Borno and Lagos states and ex-Ambassador to South Africa, is one woman you would like to meet. Always smiling, stylish, intelligent and radiant, she is a powerful woman to reckon with up north, as she flaunts her intellectual prowess at various fora. Her joy is two folds while she savours the joy of her blissful marriage, she made a momentous return to the social scene after a while. Before her sudden disappearance from the party arena a few years back, Munirat was a notable face and guest at many high profile parties, where her ever colourful lace materials caught the attention and admiration of all. She is now back with a bang and she is reclaiming her front row in the northern social circuit.
In the years of her husband Sani Abacha’s ruling, Maryam Abacha, who was the General’s wife, has been very popular. This woman was born in 1945, Her birthplace was Kaduna State, and her mother’s name was Nana Jiddah. The extremely beautiful woman who has two residences: one is in Maiduguri, Borno State, in her native Nigeria, while the other one is in the United States, unlike many other Nigerian first ladies who were usually in the shadows and did not appear publicly too often, Maryam Abacha was always a very active participant of the public affairs. She was present at many international conferences and events, either together with her late husband or by herself and even after her husband’s death. She remains one of the society gladiators rocking the social scene. Maryam Abacha’s nickname was “The Crusading First Lady”, because of her many travels and meetings. She was the chairwoman of the First Ladies Summit.
One of the seven women appointed as ministers in the second tenure of President Mohammadu Buhari is Pauline Kedem Tellen OFR as Minister for Women Affairs. She is a native of Shendam, born to the family of Kattiems. She is also one woman who graces elite events in the north and most especially down south west, Lagos. She was recently seen at Hajia Bola Shagaya’s 60th birthday.
Alhaja Fatima Tukur is the wife of former PDP chairman Bamanga Tukur. This beautiful wife and confidante, Hajiya Fatima Bamanga-Tukur, was always by her side offering succour and immeasurable support. She is seen at most A-list parties up north especially in Abuja.
The Emir of Kano, Sanusi’s 4 wives are well-read and complements their husband, no wonder, they usually add finesse to parties when you see them. They are well-loved up north. Sanusi II’s first wife, Sadiya, who is a daughter of the late emir, Ado Bayero, holds a bachelor’s degree in education (history) from the Bayero University Kano (BUK) and speaks Arabic. The second wife, Maryam, holds a BA (combined honours) in Arabic and Islamic studies also from BUK and just completed her dissertation for a master’s degree in education from the University of Abuja. She speaks Arabic and Italian. The third wife, Rakiya, has an LLB (law) from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and an LLM from the University of London. His pretty fourth wife, Sa’adatu just graduated.
One woman whose style has been on the radar is Ex-senate president’s wife, Toyin Saraki who thrills at any event. She was born into the Ojora and Adele royal families of Lagos as the daughter of the Yoruba aristocrat Oloye Adekunle Ojora, the Otunba of Lagos. Her great impact was well felt at the 8th senate where her husband used to hold sway.
Known to be one of the matriarchs of the high society, Hajia Titi Atiku is the wife of former vice president of Nigeria, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar. She is also a women and child rights advocate. She is the founder of Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) and the initiator of the private bill that led to the establishment of National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons(NAPTIP). She is well respected in the north and also in the south-west.
Her Excellency, Fati Lami Abubakar, was born in Minna, Niger state on April 12, 1951. She holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree, Masters in Law (LLM) and a PhD in Law (LLD). She was a onetime acting Solicitor General And Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice in Niger state. Her last public office was when she served as the first lady of the federal republic of Nigeria during which she founded the women’s rights advancement and protection alternative (WRAPA). In the second quarter of 2013, she was appointed the Niger State Chief Judge. She is the wife of former Nigeria’s head of state, Gen Abdusallam Abubakar.
Victoria Gowon is the wife of General Yakubu “Jack” Dan-Yumma Gowon, the former head of state of Nigeria. Former Miss Victoria Zakari is a trained nurse and usually seen with her husband at A-list parties.
On this list is Gimbiya Dogara, the wife of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Dogara. We can’t leave out the wife of the PDP Factional leader, Halti Ali Modu Sheriff, the pretty woman is in her 50s and also dazzles at parties. Salamatu Rabiu Kwankwaso is the wife of Ex-Gov Rabiu Kwankwaso, the two times Governor of Kano state. The pretty wife of Sokoto Governor, Maryam Mairo Mustapha Tambuwal is also another woman who turns heads at events. She is well-loved in her state and beyond.
Her husband, Aminu Tambuwal was the past speaker of the House of Representatives. Hajiya Maryam Umar Jibrilla is the first lady of Adamawa state, the bachelors of science degree holder in political science from the School of Management and Social Sciences, Bayero University is the number one woman in a state that has had to deal with the reoccurrence of incidence of bomb blasts. She has made widows and orphans the focal point in her contribution to the development of the entire human race. She is also a focal point at events.
Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed Abubakar is the first lady of Bauchi state. She is a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria where she obtained an M.A in Public Administration and B.A (Hons) Literature. She worked in NTA for 10 years and retired as a director in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after 21 years. She is the founder of a non-governmental organization named Bauchi Sustainable Women Economic Empowerment and Peace Initiative (B-SWEEP) and doing beautifully well within the social scene. Hajia Nana Kashim Shettima (Uwar Marayu), the first lady of Borno state holds a diploma in Mass Communication and also obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in the English Language from the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID). Being the First Lady of a state constantly under the attack of Boko Haram insurgents, she uses Support for Widows, Orphans and Tsangaya (SWOT) Foundation, a pet project founded by her, to bring succour to the less privileged women, most of whom were victims of the serial insurgent attacks.
Hajia Adama Dankwambo is the first lady of Gombe State. She is a first lady with the heart of gold who has empowered a lot of women under her pet project Hajiya Adama Women Empowerment Programme (HAWEP). She is well-loved and also attends major parties in the north. Mrs Anna Ishaku is from Taraba state. She is the founder of Hope Afresh Foundation. She is a law graduate from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and was once the chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyer’s (FIDA). She is also a party stunner.
Hajiya Mairo Tanko Al-Makura is the beautiful second wife of Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa state. Her beauty transcends beyond the surface as she reaches out to the needy in her state through her pet project, Tallafia Women and Youth Foundation. Hajiya Mario Tanko Al-makura is an Amazon with a heart of gold who is loved by all for selfless service.
The pretty and brainy Dr Amina Bello is the first lady of Niger State. They both have a doctorate degree. Despite her position as the first lady, she has remained committed and passionate about her medical profession impacting on the lives of ordinary Nigerians positively. Mrs Bello, a medical doctor and daughter of the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar has remained resolute to impact positively especially to the women.
The wife of Kano State Governor, Hafsat Umar Ganduje is not well-known in public but her emergence as the first lady could not make her hide herself anymore. An indigene of Malam Madori local government area of Jigawa State before her recent status which was a principal at a school in the Federal Capital Territory.
She took a leave of absence to pursue a PhD degree programme in Education Psychology at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), a programme she has since completed. She is a director in the Ganduje Foundation, a philanthropic organisation in the state. She made a loud noise recently when her daughter got married to Ex-Oyo governor, Abiola Ajimobi.
Mariya Aminu Tambuwal is the first lady of Sokoto State and the younger sister to Senator Abdallah Wali, immediate-past Nigerian Ambassador to Morocco, she hails from Sanyinna District in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State. The governor of Katsina State, Bello Masari, has three wives, Hajiya Binta, Hajiya Hadiza and Hajiya Sakiya. Hajiya Binta was the most visible during campaigns and hails from Kofar Soro in Katsina local government, while Hajiya Sakiya is from Kofar Bai of the same state. All the wives are into business and also dazzle at parties. Hadiza Isma El-Rufai is a Nigerian writer (novelist), the current First Lady of Kaduna State, and the founder of Yasmin El-Rufai Foundation (YELF), a non-profit literary organization. She is one of the prominent faces on the social scene in the north. Hajiya Aisha Ummi Garba El-Rufai is an interior decorator. She was born in Kano to the family of Alhaji Garba Haliru and late Hajiya Nafisa Garba Haliru. She is one of the wives of the incumbent governor of Kaduna State. She has worked with a Pension Funds Administrator and other financial institutions. She hails from Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State. One of the wives is Asia el Rufai, she is the sister of popular journalist and activist, Kadaria Ahmed.
Turai Yaradua was one First Lady that is seen but hardly heard. Yet, she is perceived to be very influential in government during her husband, President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua’s reign. She came into national reckoning in 2007 when her husband was elected president of the federal republic of Nigeria. Her antecedents affirmed that she is committed to family life, love, charity and strong faith in the Almighty God. She is well-loved in her state and was later made the National Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) in Nigeria. Zarah Bunu, daughter of Bunu Sherrif Musa, Nigeria’s Ambassador to France former Minister of Industries, Mines and Power, Water Resources, Employment, Labour and Productivity is married to Former Inspector General of Police, IG, Abubakar. Zarah had her formative education at the Cobham Hall School, in Kent, United Kingdom, her university education at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and the Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. Referred to as an Abuja big girl, she is an extrovert and mixes well socially.
Fatima Mohammed Goni is a woman who knows who she is and is not afraid to let the world know it through her self-service to downtrodden in society. She is also one of the well-respected women icons in the north. This quality reminds one also about the Zamfara State First Lady, Hajia Aisha Bello Mutawalle, It is amazing how she successfully managed power, influence and perhaps wealth and still related so well with people all over the country through using her vast experience and her human relation which many believe was in her blood. A quintessential diva is a woman who can take care of business, successfully run her home and still be available to friends and family that needs her. She mixes so well at parties. Besides her leadership prowess and qualities, Fatima is unlike others; she is very friendly; humane, simple in driving desired goals, open and generous to all humanity without considering where you come.
Hon Munirat Suleiman Nalaraba is the President/Founder of Green Heart Impact Foundation (GHIF), Hon. Munira Suleiman Tanimu. The young Kaduna State-born daughter of a politician father has braced the odds against the limitations of cultural and Islamic tenets to break-even in her business and political career.
Hon. Tanimu is the CEO of a conglomerate of different businesses. She had started a business at the age of eighteen. Her father gave her and her other siblings money to start their businesses when she was just eighteen, and she started to do business in Nigeria and across Nigeria. She has run many businesses and failed in them, but she didn’t give up. Despite her many failures in business, she was never daunted. Today, Munira is the CEO of Green Garden Farm, a poultry farm in Kano which currently houses well over five thousand chickens).
Hon. Munira Taminu also runs a town service transport-business, ‘MSTS ventures’ that has several inter-state buses, and cabs operating in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria as well as a very big event centre that brings in good returns. She is a fulfilled businesswoman and politician at the age of thirty-two years, something that is very rare among young Nigerian women, especially northern women.
Her Excellency, Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu is a Pediatric Consultant, a loud voice in the fight against cancer and a child’s right advocate. She is the First Lady of Kebbi state, a platform that has turned her into a role model in the state and beyond. Her advocacy for women, children and the youth in Kebbi state and Northern Nigeria, cuts across health, education and skills acquisition. As well as being the Chief Executive of Medicaid, Dr Zainab Bagudu is the founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation (MCF). She is also one of the regular hot faces at only A list parties in the north.
Umar Babangida is the daughter in law to a former head of state, Gen Ibrahim Babangida. Her husband, a multi-millionaire, Mohammed’s first love was actually Umma, the daughter of Ambassador Aminu Wali, the former Nigerian Envoy to the United States of America. Umma was a young undergraduate at Bayero University, BUK, Kano. She later travelled to the United Kingdom to further her studies. She does not regularly go out for social events except it’s very important.
We can’t also forget Hajiya Zainab Abdulkadir Kure who was elected Senator for the Niger South constituency of Niger State. She worked as a civil servant in Niger State before running for Senate and rose to the position of permanent secretary. Her husband Abdulkadir Kure was governor of Niger State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.
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