Op-Ed: The Seven Women On President Buhari’s Ministerial List

Only seven women made the 43-man list forwarded to the Senate for confirmation on Tuesday by President Muhammadu Buhari as ministers

Buhari, who was returned in a keenly contested election, was sworn in for his second tenure on May 27.

The seven women on the list are: Sharon Ikeazor, Zainab Ahmed, Gbemisola Saraki, Ramatu Tijjani-Aliyu, Sadiya Farouk, Mariam Katagun and Pauline Tallen.

Sharon Ikeazor

Sharon Ikeazor was born into the family of Chief Chimezie Ikeazor, SAN, of Obosi, Anambra State, the founder of the Legal Aid for the Poor Scheme in Nigeria.

After the merger of three political parties in 2013, she emerged the interim national woman leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

She was appointed as Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016.

Zainab Ahmed

Zainab Ahmed was born in Kaduna state. She got her first degree in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 after-which she proceeded to Olabisi Onabanjo University for her MBA

In 2015, she was appointed as the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning by Buhari. Upon the resignation of the erstwhile Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun on September 14, 2018, Ahmed was appointed as Finance Minister in September 2018.

Gbemisola Saraki

Gbemisola Saraki was elected to represent the Kwara central Senatorial district under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party in 2003. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 1999 representing Asa/Ilorin West Federal Constituency, Kwara State.

The younger sister to former Senate President Bukola Saraki is an ardent supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari and backed APC in Kwara State to end the dynasty of Bukola Saraki in the state with the “O to ge” slogan.

Ramatu Tijjani-Aliyu

Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu graduated from Ahmadu Bello University with a degree in Urban & Regional Planning. She also has an M.PA in Public Administration from Nasarawa State University, Keffi and a D.PA in Public Administration, Honoris Causa, from the Commonwealth University, London.

She served as the immediate past APC National woman Leader. She is the President of African Political Parties. She is a Princess from Lokoja and philanthropist.

Sadiya Farouk

She was educated at the Federal Government Girls’ College Gusau, Zamfara State and Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State where she graduated with a Bsc. in Business Administration (Actuarial Science) in 1998.

Between 2011 – 2013, She became the National treasurer of the CPC , and then Interim National Treasurer of the APC from 2013-2014 before her appointment as Member, All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council where she served in the directorates of election planning and monitoring, field operations, and fund raising, in preparation for the 2015 general elections which the APC won.

Sadiya was appointed in September 26, 2016, as the Honourable Federal Commissioner (HFC) of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).

Mariam Katagun

Katagum is Permanent Delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a role that she has occupied since June 2009. A deputy director at the ministry of education, she occupied the office of the secretary-general of the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO between 2001 and 2009.

The Ahmadu Bello university graduate is also the deputy chair of the board of governors of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and member representing Nigeria on the UNESCO executive board.

Pauline Tallen

Tallen is a native of Shendam born to the family of Kattiems. She got a degree in sociology at the University of Jos in 1982.

In 1999, she was appointed Minister of State for Science and Technology by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In 2007, she became the deputy governor of Plateau State, emerging the first woman to be a deputy governor in northern Nigeria. She also contested to be governor of the state in 2011 but lost to Jonah Jang.

She is a member board of trustees of All Progressive Congress, and was honoured as woman of the year for her contribution to Nigeria at the 10th African Icon of Our Generation Award. She is a board member of National Agency for Control of Aids(NACA)

The Nation