Women inclusion: Six Nigerian women currently deputy governors

Nigeria is one country in Africa where the percentage of women in active politics and leadership positions seems to be declining on despite various legislations and sensitisation campaigns to change the status-quo in recent years.

The clamour for more women to participate in politics and leadership positions is continuously gaining momentum across the country today.

Many Nigerians agree that more women need to be elected and into public office, while stakeholders say that the atmosphere is not conducive enough to encourage women to join politics.

Experts say that there should be more drastic action by stakeholders and legislation by the National Assembly if there would be change.

However, six women were elected into public office as deputy governors in the 2023 general election across Nigeria; this was out of the 24 female deputy governorship candidates in 15 states that made it to the ballot to contest alongside their male governorship candidates.

BusinessDay profiles six current deputy governors who are women.

Hadiza Balarabe Sabuwa (Kaduna)

Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, 58, is the first elected female deputy governor of the state and was elected during the 2019 Governorship Election alongside her principal Governor Nasir El’Rufia, under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). She was re-elected in that capacity in 2023.

She is a trained medical doctor and has practised for a long time before venturing into poverty.

She was born into the family of Abubakar Balarabe in Sanga Local Government Area of the state.

Hadiza attended Girls College Soba for her secondary education; she then got admission into the University of Maiduguri to study medicine and graduated with MBBS in 1986.

She also served as the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency before becoming the deputy governor to Nasir El-rufai in 2018.

Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom)

Eyakenyi served as the senator for Oron in Akwa Ibom South from 1999-2023. She was born 24 February 1960, before being elected to the Senate. She was the vice chairman Senate committee on education.

She was the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development from 2014 to 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan.

She started her political career in 2000, as Commissioner for Industry, Commerce and Tourism during the tenure of Obong Victor Attah.

In 2013, she was appointed Chairperson, Akwa Ibom State Technical Schools Board, by former Governor Godswill Akpabio, and then as Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in 2014 during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan.

In June 2015, Eyakenyi was appointed into the technical committee of the Ibaka Deep Seaport, and in October 2016, as chairman, governing council, Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua.

She is a mother and wife, and married to Etim Eyakenyi, an indigene of Iquita in Oron local government area.

Josephine Piyo (Plateau)

Josephine Piyo from Barkin local government was born in 1957. She was previously a member of Plateau State House of Assembly.

She is currently a deputy to Governor Caleb Mutfwang.

Piyo, a grassroots politician and one time chairperson of Riyom Local Government Area of the state, during the electioneering, Mutfwang said the choice of Piyo was about giving voice to the voiceless.

Piyo is a health care worker and had served as a public administrator before her foray into politics.

Ngozi Nma Odu (Rivers)

The politician Odu was born in 19 October 1952. She is a professor of food and public health microbiology at the PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt.

Odu had also served the University of Port Harcourt both as a lecturer in the department of microbiology and as the first acting executive director of the university of Port Harcourt foundation.

Presently, she is also a visiting professor to the Rivers State University.

As a civil servant in the state, she rose through the ranks in the Rivers State Ministry of Health to the post of permanent secretary, a post she held for six and half years (1999 – 2006), making her the longest serving Permanent Secretary in that Ministry.

She had served her country in various ways. She reviewed 3 chapters of the 2004 (2nd Edition) of the National Health Policy of Nigeria. She co-reviewed the 2004 – 2007 Health Sector Reform Programme of the FMOH.

She also appraised the Public Private Partnership (PPP) implementation on the health sector in Akwa Ibom State in 2005.

She produced the draft State Strategic Health Development Plan (SSHDP) for Bayelsa State in 2009 as a consultant to the FMOH. She has served as a consultant to SPDC, TOTAL, NLNG and UNDP.

Noimot Salako Oyedele (Ogun)

The engineer turned politician Noimot Salako-Oyedele was born 8 January 1966. She is a public health engineer and real estate professional and has been the deputy governor of Ogun State since 2019.

Salako-Oyedele was born to the family of Late Professor Lateef A. Salako, in Ado Odo Ota local government of Ogun State.

She has over 30 years-experience in the consulting, contracting and real estate sectors.

She has been on the board of several companies in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Glenwood Property Development Company Limited.

She holds a master’s degree in Public Health Engineering from the Imperial College of Science & Technology London, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Lagos.

Salako-Oyedele became the third female deputy governor of the state following the election of Governor Dapo Abiodun in 2019. She was re-nominated and won the second term election with Abiodun during the March 18 election.

Patricia Obila (Ebonyi)

Until her election the position of deputy governor, Patricia Obila was a two-term vice chairman of Afikpo North LGA of the state.

Obila, on her nomination as running mate to the governor- Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, was described as a graduate with impeccable experience in leadership.