Women delegates: The professors, PhDs

Daily Trust’s analysis of the delegates’ list shows that the women were just about one-quarter of the total 492 delegates.Of the 492 delegates, about 92 of them are women. But interestingly too, they were able to complement their numerical weakness with intellectual and professional advantage.About half of the women delegates are professors, doctoral degrees holders, […]

Daily Trust’s analysis of the delegates’ list shows that the women were just about one-quarter of the total 492 delegates.
Of the 492 delegates, about 92 of them are women. But interestingly too, they were able to complement their numerical weakness with intellectual and professional advantage.
About half of the women delegates are professors, doctoral degrees holders, former deputy governors, former ministers, senators, diplomats, medical doctors, engineers, senior judges, civil servants, among others.
An analysis of the women list shows that about nine of them are professors and 12 of them PhD holders.
Further review of the list shows that there is one former acting governor, three deputy governors, four former senators, five former ministers, scores of senior judges and retired civil servants.
There are equally dozens of other professionals which include medical doctors, journalists, engineers, lawyers, rights activists, architects, among others.
The women delegation comprises also of prominent politicians who served as lawmakers in the National Assembly and various State Houses of Assembly, as commissioners, board chairmen and members, special advisers, party chieftains, to mention a few.
Some of the women professors at the conference include Gambo Laraba Abdullahi (Bauchi), former Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja and Minister of Women Affairs; Dora Akunyili (Anambra), former director general of NAFDAC and Minister of Information; and Ruqayyatu Ahmed Ahmed (Jigawa), former Minister of Education.
Others are Bisi Aina (Ekiti), Rose Onah (Enugu), Titi Filani (Ogun), Aishatu Madawaki (Sokoto), Nnenna Oti (South east), Mariatu Tunuche (North central) and Amakievi Gabriel (Rivers).
Some of the PhDs among the women delegates include former Minister of Water Resources Salome Jankada (Taraba), Fati Ibrahim Adamu (Kebbi), Adaeze Nwuzor (Ebonyi), Magdalene Mba Dura (Benue), Madam Ngieriwagha (Bayelsa) and Virginia A. Anohu (Federal government).
Other doctoral degree holders are Mariya Abdullahi (Civil society), Joe-Okei Odumakin (Civil society), Kate Okapreke (Christian leaders), Patricia Ogbnonnaya (Women council), Abiola Akiode (Civil society) and Yemi Mahmud- Fasominu (Ondo).
The three former deputy governors are Dame Virgy Etiaba (Anambra), who was also an acting governor of the state, Kofoworola Buknor-Akerele (Lagos) and Atim Etim Okpoyo (Akwa Ibom).
Among the former ministers are those of women affairs Aisha Ismail (Kano) and Josephine Anenih (Edo), water resources Salome Jankada (Taraba), education Ruqayyatu and information Akunyili (Anambra).
Some of the women senators are Khairat Abdulrazaq Gwadabe (FCT), former presidential adviser on National Assembly Matters Florence Ita-Giwa (Cross Rivers), Gbemisola Saraki (Kwara), Bucknor-Akerele (Lagos) and Iyabo Anisunlowo (South west).
Other prominent ladies include Daisy, the wife of the former defence minister and philanthropist, retired General Theophilus Danjuma, business magnet Hajiya Bola Shagaya, Niger Delta activist Annkio Briggs, former House of Representatives member Binta Mercy Garba and Katsina state permanent secretary and Board of Trustees member of the PDP Hajiya Talatu Nasir.
The conference secretary and the only lady among the six-member conference management, Valerie-Janette Azinge, is also a PhD and a lawyer.
This formidable team of women is also readily supported by a small army of other women delegates from the market women associations to the National Council of Women Societies, among other gender-based civil society organizations.
Though numerically disadvan-taged, the women are so far not lagging behind, perhaps because of their intellectual wizardry, political tenacity and rights activism.