Yesterday, June 24th, witnessed the public release of the book by Aisha Balarabe Bawa of the Department of History, Usmanu Danfodiyo University. Titled “Women in the Corridors of Power: Nigerian First Ladies in Governance,” it grew out of her PhD thesis for UDUS. I have known Aisha since her graduate days, and she involved me in shaping the project. I was appointed an External Examiner to the University, and I was to also examine the thesis, but a busy schedule sabotaged it.
Aisha’s life history, to me, may be more important than her book! She was to have had a different history, but for her early traits of stubbornness which has remained with her. Her father of blessed memory asked her to get married after high school, but she refused. Her dad’s boss in the police force persuaded him and promised some cost sharing. The dad’s friend is now the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) who attended the events with the Zonal Inspectors of Police as well as the Commissioner of Police, Sokoto State. The event became a combination of the Ivory Tower and the public, with distinguished public officials in attendance. She went ahead to attend a College of Education, and from there to a first degree and later a PhD. She is the only female faculty in the Department of History at UDUS. Her conference on “Women and Gender History in Northern Nigeria”, still ongoing, is a success.
Dr. Bawa’s vision is broad, national, and progressive. She assembled, for this conference, over 100 speakers from different parts of the country, as well as delegates from Niger Republic.
I wish her more success.
TF
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