Dr (Mrs.) Maryam Sani Abacha is the widow of Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Sani Abacha. She was Nigeria’s First Lady from November 17, 1993, to June 8, 1998. Maryam Abacha who was born on March 4, 1947, in Kaduna, hails from Borno State. She was President of the Nigeria Army Officers Wives’ Association (NAOWA), from 1985 to 1990.
While in office as First Lady, Mrs. Maryam Abacha launched the Family Support Programme (FSP) in March 1994. This programme was intended to uplift the status and conditions of Nigerian families in general and women in particular. Thanks to Mrs. Abacha as the FSP would enable women to realize their full potential at a time they had been relegated to the background, at a time society treated them with and, in many cases, violence; and at a time their contributions and relevance to societal development were simply ignored. At the time of the inauguration of the pet project, Mrs. Abacha said:
“contemporary social vices such as drug abuse, increased cases of marital failure, public indiscipline, corruption and negative change in social attitudes are manifestations of the present deteriorating state of our social values.”
Three years after the inauguration of the FSP, the nation witnessed a lot of developmental activities either directly involving women or beneficial to them. The programme recorded several achievements, with the initiation and completion of several projects across the country. Projects undertaken by the FSP included building and renovation of schools; provision of cottage industries, water, and health centers; promoting social values, ethics, and family virtues; donation of food items, drugs, and relief materials to orphanages, disaster victims, old and disabled people’s homes among others. The FSP embarked on the education of women and the creation of awareness through workshops, seminars, and conferences. Women’s empowerment and participation in politics, as well as appointments into high public offices and positions of authority hitherto dominated by men, are the other achievements of the programme. Through the FSP, she founded the National Hospital for Women and Children, later renamed National Hospital, Abuja.
The former First Lady further established the Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) which she launched on March 3, 1997, in Abuja. The programme was intended to alleviate the social and economic hardships and problems experienced mostly by people residing in rural areas. The benefits to accrue to the rural areas through the FEAP would be enormous. The initiative, among others, was to bring about the provision of infrastructure and social amenities, and also discourage migration to the cities of people seeking greener pastures. It was also to boost the prosperity level of the rural dwellers.
Under the scheme, credit facilities were extended to indigent Nigerians to boost their economic output and increase prosperity. To match words with action, a revolving loan was created. In an address at the opening ceremony of the People’s Bank of Nigeria/United Nations Development programme (UNDP) workshop on “Micro-Credit as a Basis for Economic Empowerment,” held at the Women Development Center, Abuja, Mrs. Maryam Abacha said that FEAP was the socio-economic empowerment of the FSP; and a significant step in the march to economic self-reliance and technological, through the promotion of small-scale cottage industries. According to her:
FEAP is conceived, prepared, and packaged as an overall down-to-earth grassroots economic project, particularly for the poor and needy people of our great country. All families across the entire country covering different strata of our society stand to benefit from the programme including members of the Uniformed Services. This is meant to ensure an even spread, denoting our federal character concept in consonance with the principle of democracy, equality, and social justice.
The provision of loans was just one aspect of the objectives of FEAP. The other benefits which accrued from the programme were numerous. As Mrs. Abacha said at the workshop:
FEAP’s action strategies include the provision for skills acquisition in ward-based business operations, design, and replication of plants, machinery, and equipment locally while adding value to local resources through improved production, storage, preservation, processing, recycling, packaging, and marketing locally and across our borders.
She informed the informants that local raw materials abundantly which hitherto were ignored by the industrialists. FEAP was therefore intended to reverse the trend. She further commended all Nigerians for their willingness to join hands with the administration to banish poverty in the country.
The FEAP was launched in most states of the federation by the state chairpersons of the FSP.
In support of the laudable efforts of the First Lady to improve the quality of life of women, the Federal Government established the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. That was the first time such a Ministry was created in Nigeria. It had Ambassador Judith Atta as the Minister. Similar Ministries were established in all the states. In addition, women were given enhanced jobs and other positions of responsibility in the administration.
Mrs. Maryam Abacha also took the campaign for women’s empowerment to the World Women’s Conference in Beijing, China. The Nigerian First Lady articulated the position of women very well in a highly applauded address. She restated the need for women to be given a chance to actualize their full potential. She said the role of women was beyond carrying out domestic chores and if given the opportunity, could contribute a lot towards peace and stability in the world. She advocated a role for women in resolving conflicts in troubled parts of the world.
The issues raised by the Nigerian First Lady at the Conference led to the hosting of the African First Ladies Peace Mission in Abuja. The gathering explored the role of African First Ladies in conflict resolution in Africa. Mrs. Abacha presented the outcome of the deliberations of the First Ladies Peace Mission to the Heads of State and Government at the 33rd Summit of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The increasing awareness of the role of women in conflict resolution culminated in the appointment of a woman, Mrs. Ruth Perry, as the head of a transitional government in Liberia. And during her tenure, peace finally returned to Liberia after eight years of fratricidal war.
In furtherance of the attainment of the goals of FEAP, General Sani Abacha, inaugurated its 20-member Board on November 12, 1997, with Alhaji Mohammed Bello Kirfi as chairman.
The former First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Maryam Abacha, must be commended for her concern and commitment to the welfare of the women of this country. The efforts of women in general, who have been inspired by her, also deserve commendations.
Since her exit from the Office of the First Lady, she has been living a quiet life as the matriarch of the Abacha family in Kano. In 2022, Mrs. Abacha celebrated her 75th birthday, an occasion she used to thank God for sustaining and keeping her alive. According to her, “God has purified my heart and I am still alive and grateful to Almighty Allah for that. I can die now or tomorrow. I am thankful to Allah for all my life.”
The birthday was also to mark a moment of forgiveness for all. She said “To all those who offended us, I am using this opportunity to say that I have forgiven them all. I hope we shall forgive each other and God will forgive us all.” Mrs. Abacha offered supplication for the peace, security, unity, economy, and development of Nigeria.
The former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, also felicitated Mrs. Maryam Abacha on her 75th birthday celebration. He recounted Mrs. Abacha’s efforts in the establishment of the National Hospital for Women and Children, later renamed National Hospital, Abuja. According to Buhari, she “transformed many lives across the country, particularly wives of military officers, girl-child, rural women and children.” He lauded her efforts in different areas of women empowerment in agriculture, small and medium scale enterprises, skill acquisition and access to education, poverty alleviation programme, National Programme on Immunization, Family Support Programme, Family Support Basic Education and Family Economic Advancement Programme, and Africa First Ladies Peace Mission.
A loving and kindhearted mother, full of philanthropic spirit, the Maryam Abacha American Unity of Niger (MAAUN) was named after her, in recognition of her humanitarian projects and contribution to the development of the African continent.
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