By James E. Archibong Ph.D.

Copyrights © 2014 by James E. Archibong
No part of this book should be reproduced without the author’s written permission.
Published under the auspices of Eteteonline.com

Dedication
This book is dedicated to Nigerian women.

PREFACE

This book was written in 2014 in commemoration of the contributions of Nigerian women to national development, since the 1914 amalgamation. It was later uploaded on a sister website, Etesisonline.com.

Nigerian women have always been described as intelligent and confident trailblazers who possess great skills, endowments, and intellectual capacity. They are no longer the full-time housewife who sits at home to rear children. Most Nigerian women have graduated from full-time housewives, petty traders, subsistence farmers, or casual labourers to skilled, well-trained, and well-qualified professionals. Today a large number of professional women abound and adorn every sector of Nigerian society. They are almost dominating some areas, competing competently with the men.

Male professionals have dominated the economy for many years. Over the years, there have been campaigns for the empowerment of women. There has been persistent struggle and clamour for the recognition and respect for the rights of women as human beings. Sustained efforts have been invested to help women actualize their potential and achieve their goals in life.

There have been calls and crusades for gender equality. Feminist movements, advocacy groups, women’s rights activists, national governments, and international organizations have all risen to the challenge in one way or the other to liberate women from the grips of tradition, religion, and male dominance that have subjected them to perpetual and unlimited subordination and arbitrary control.

Women now assume a very active and prominent role in the society. They undertake complex responsibilities and challenges. Women are no longer the full-time housewives they used to be who sit at home to cook and look after children and wait for their spouse to bring home everything that is needed by the family. While they remain and retain their primary role as sweet mothers and caring wives, women are also successful professionals.

The contribution of women to the economic development of Nigeria cannot be ignored. Nigerian women today represent an enormous force whose potential has been grossly underutilized. We see in them emerging business leaders and great decision-makers. The importance of women in leadership positions in the economic sector cannot be overemphasized. There are several female CEOs in important corporate organizations. Female entrepreneurs have contributed significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Most of the businesses owned by women are small and are found essentially in the informal sector. Some of them are growing and have grown into big businesses.

Nigerian women are hard-working. They are noted for their resilience and doggedness. Sometimes their entrepreneurial skills outmarch those of the men. This has seen many of them rise from zero to hero. Adenike Ogunlesi started as a small-time trader, selling pyjamas and using the boot of her car as a mobile shop. In a short while, she transformed the business into a multimillion-dollar manufacturing concern.

What is presented in this book is just a fraction of the contributions of women in over a century of nationhood. We accept contributions, corrections or criticisms and picture that can improve the work.

James E. Archibong

Calabar, Nigeria

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication

Preface  

Chapter One: Introduction– 100 Years of Nation-Building

Chapter Two: Women in Leadership – The Heroines of the Past       

Chapter Three: Women in Politics (1) – The Pioneering Efforts

Chapter Four: Women in Politics (2) – Prominent Female Politicians

Chapter Five: Civil/Public Service

Chapter Six: The Armed Forces/Paramilitary Services

Chapter Seven: The Academia/Literary World

Chapter Eight: Women in Diplomacy

Chapter Nine: Medicine, Science and Technology

Chapter Ten: Women in the Lord’s Vineyard

Chapter Eleven: The Media and Public Relations

Chapter Twelve: Women in Sports

Chapter Thirteen: Women in Charity

Chapter Fourteen: Fashion, Pageant, Arts and Crafts

Chapter Fifteen: The Bar and the Bench

Chapter Sixteen: Women in Entertainment

Chapter Seventeen: Entrepreneurs, Industrialists/CEOs

Chapter Eighteen: Professionals, Corporate Directors/CEOs

Chapter Nineteen: Women in the Informal Sector

Chapter Twenty: The First Ladies’ Corner

Chapter Twenty-One: Women of Valour

EteteOnline Team

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