10 Nigerian Female Senators You Should Know About (2024)
Despite making up nearly half the Population, Nigerian women hold less than 7% of Senate seats. In this guide, you will learn about 10 female senators, their accomplishments, and the challenges they overcame to become influential figures in the Nigerian government.
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Who Are The Top Female Senators In Nigeria?
Here are some of the respected female senators In Nigeria:
1. Oluremi Tinubu
Oluremi “Remi” Tinubu is a prominent Nigerian politician, currently serving as the First Lady of Nigeria since 2023, alongside her husband, President Bola Tinubu.
She once had the position of Senator for Lagos Central Senatorial District from 2011 to 2023, and she has been an active member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) political party.
Oluremi Tinubu is the longest-serving female senator In Nigeria. Born on September 21, 1960, Tinubu grew up as the twelfth child in a family of thirteen, hailing from the Ikusebiala family of Ogun State.
She went to Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Ijebu-Ode, obtaining her West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Exam (WASSCE) in 1979.
Later, she pursued higher education, earning a B.S. in Education from the University of Ife and a National Certificate of Education in Botany and Zoology from the Adeyemi College of Education.
Tinubu’s political career began when her husband became the Governor of Lagos State, during which time she served as the First Lady of the state from 1999 to 2007.
She established the New Era Foundation, focusing on youth development and environmental awareness. In 2011, she was elected as a senator, representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, a position she held for three consecutive terms until 2023.
She has been vocal on various issues, she advocated for security measures after allegedly facing threats from a fellow senator during a closed-door session.
Also, she has been a supporter of initiatives such as youth empowerment and skill acquisition schemes. Tinubu’s contributions have been recognized through numerous awards and honors, including the National Award of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and the Ghana Noble International Award for Leadership.
2. Franca Afegbua
Franca Afegbua was an influential figure in Nigerian politics and beauty culture. Born on October 20, 1943, in Okpella, Edo State, she was the first woman elected to the Nigerian Senate in 1983, representing Bendel North under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
Before joining politics, Afegbua pursued her passion as a beautician, sharpening her skills as a hairstylist, particularly catering to high-income clients in Lagos.
Her career in politics was weird, yet remarkable. Despite being from an opposition party and facing respected incumbents, Afegbua’s determination and strategic approach led her to victory.
Drawing on her fame from winning an international hairstyling competition in 1977, she targeted women voters, recognizing their potential influence.
She gained enough support through her grassroots campaign to secure a slim victory over her opponent, John Umolu, in the August election.
Afegbua’s success as a senator was a milestone for women in Nigerian politics. She paved the way for future generations of female leaders.
Afegbua advocated for issues important to her constituents, leveraging her platform to boost their voices. Tragically, Afegbua passed away on March 12, 2023, at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy of courage, resilience, and service to her community.
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3. Fatimat Olufunke Raji-Rasaki
Fatimat Olufunke Raji-Rasaki is a notable Nigerian politician, known for her tenure as a senator representing Ekiti Central in the Nigerian Senate from June 9, 2015, to June 9, 2019.
Born on January 1, 1957, in Ekiti State, Nigeria, she attended Doherty Memorial Grammar School in Ijero before pursuing a degree in law at the University of Lagos.
Raji-Rasaki’s political career began early, and she rose to prominence as a senator and former first lady of Ogun, Ondo, and Lagos states between 1986 and 1991.
She has been affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) party. During her time in the Senate, Raji-Rasaki served as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment.
This committee played an important part in trade policies and in promoting investment opportunities in Nigeria. Her leadership within this committee was impressive, especially during the 8th Assembly when Bukola Saraki held the position of Senate President.
Raji-Rasaki’s term as a senator was noteworthy because she was one of the few female senators in Nigeria. In the 8th Assembly, out of over 100 senators, only six were women, including Raji-Rasaki.
Among them were notable figures like Stella Oduah, Uche Ekwunife, Rose Okoji Oko, Oluremi Tinubu, and Binta Garba, each representing different states and constituencies.
4. Binta Masi Garba
Binta Masi Garba is a notable figure in Nigerian politics, who represents Adamawa North Senatorial District from 2015 to 2019.
She’s also recognized for her past service in the Federal House of Representatives and her leadership within political parties.
Born on April 17, 1967, in Kaduna, Nigeria, Garba’s upbringing in a military family instilled a sense of discipline and determination.
Despite facing gender inequalities early in her career, particularly in her work at New Nigeria Newspapers, she emerged as a champion for women’s rights and representation in politics.
Garba began her political career in 1998 in Kaduna South Federal Constituency, where she contested for a seat in the Federal House of Representatives, advocating for marginalized voices.
Her persistence paid off when she won the seat in 1999, becoming the youngest federal legislator at the time. Over the years, Garba’s political influence grew as she served multiple terms in the Federal House of Representatives, representing both Kaduna South and Madagali/Michika Federal Constituencies.
Her reputation for effective leadership led to her appointment as the Woman Leader of the new People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) faction.
Garba’s dedication to public service and her ability to guide political landscapes topped in her historic election as the first female State Chairperson of a major political party in Nigeria, leading the Adamawa State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In 2015, she made history again as the only female senator-elect from the 19 Northern States of Nigeria, winning the Senate seat for Adamawa North Senatorial District.
Binta has been a determined advocate for gender equality and has continuously fought for the empowerment of women in Nigerian politics. Her leadership and commitment to public service have earned her nicknames like “Iron Lady” and “Lady B.”
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5. Stella Oduah
Stella Oduah Ogiemwonyi has had a different career in both government and business sectors. Born on January 5, 1962, she hails from Anambra State.
Oduah obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accounting and Business Administration, respectively, in the United States before returning to Nigeria in 1983.
Her political journey began with her appointment as Minister of Aviation from July 2011 to February 2014 under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
During this time, she faced controversy over allegations of inflating the cost of BMW cars purchased by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
Oduah then was elected to the Nigerian Senate in 2015 to represent the Anambra North Senatorial District, making her one of the few female senators in Nigeria at the time.
She was re-elected for a second term in 2019. Despite her political achievements, Oduah’s career has been tainted by controversies, including allegations of fraudulent transactions involving billions of Naira in 2014.
In August 2021, she left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reshape the political landscape in the South-East region of Nigeria.
Outside of politics, Oduah co-founded the Sea Petroleum & Gas Company Limited (SPG), an independent petroleum products marketer in Nigeria, after leaving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 1992.
6. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed
Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, also known as Binani, is a Nigerian politician and entrepreneur who has made important headway in both her political and personal life.
Binani attended Gwadabawa Primary School in Jimeta, Yola, before pursuing her higher education at the Federal Polytechnic of Mubi.
There, she earned both an Ordinary National Diploma and a Higher National Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
She also completed her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Borno state, where she received recognition for her outstanding performance.
Binani furthered her education with a certificate in Rural Radio Systems from the University of Southampton in the UK, as well as a postgraduate diploma in Business Management and a certificate in Data Processing from Nasarawa State University in Keffi.
In her political career, Binani served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015, representing the Yola North, Yola South, and Girei Constituency of Adamawa State under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
She backed different initiatives focused on healthcare, education, agriculture, employment, and infrastructure development.
In 2019, she contested for the position of Senator for Adamawa Central under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and emerged victorious, becoming the only female senator from northern Nigeria in the 9th National Assembly.
As a senator, she chaired the Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In the 2023 Adamawa Governorship election, Binani contested for the governorship position but faced legal challenges following a controversial announcement during the collation of election results.
Despite the legal hurdles, she continued to pursue her candidacy, ultimately losing to the incumbent Governor of Adamawa, Ahmadu Fintiri.
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7. Uche Lilian Ekwunife
Uche Lilian Ekwunife Is a former Senator representing the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District. She is recognized as one of the most active female senators in the Nigerian Senate.
Ekwunife pursued her education at the University of Calabar, and she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business and Accounting in 1993.
Then, she earned her MBA degree from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in 2002. Ekwunife had a successful career in banking before moving into politics.
She contested for the Anambra governorship twice without success. However, she was elected as a representative in 2007 for Anambra’s Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia constituency.
Notably, she was one of the eleven women elected in 2007 who were re-elected in 2011. In 2015, Ekwunife was one of the six women elected to the 8th National Assembly as a Senator.
Despite her victory, her election was challenged due to her party affiliation changes. Therefore, her seat was declared vacant, leading to a bye-election where she was not supported by her former party, resulting in Victor Umeh’s election as Senator.
But Ekwunife emerged victorious in the 2019 Anambra State senatorial elections under the People’s Democratic Party, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, defeating her previous rival, Victor Umeh, who sought reelection.
8. Akon Etim Eyakenyi
Akon Etim Eyakenyi is currently serving as the deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State. Her political career has seen her hold several important positions, including senator for Akwa Ibom South from 2019 to 2023 and Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development from 2014 to 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan.
Eyakenyi hails from the Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area in Akwa Ibom State, where she was born into the family of Chief Uweh Isangedihi in 1960.
She attended Government Primary School, Uko Uyokim, before obtaining a Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) from the University of Calabar in 1986.
Then, she furthered her studies, earning a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree in 1990, followed by a Master of Education (M.Ed) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Curriculum Education in 2010 and 2014, respectively.
Eyakenyi started as a teacher, serving in various capacities within the education sector, and her political term began to unfold in 2000 when she was appointed Commissioner for Industry, Commerce, and Tourism in Akwa Ibom State during Victor Attah’s regime.
Afterward, she was the Supervisor for Education, Youths, Sports, and Culture in Oron, as well as chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Technical Schools Board.
Her senatorial ambitions became clear in 2018 when she declared her intention to represent Akwa Ibom South senatorial district.
After emerging victorious in the People’s Democratic Party primaries, she secured the seat in the 2019 general elections
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9. Betty Apiafi
Betty Apiafi is a Nigerian politician, economist, retired banker, and educationist, born on February 19, 1962, in Rivers State.
She has made influential contributions to Nigerian politics, particularly in the areas of women’s affairs, education, and banking sector reforms.
Having obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Port Harcourt and a master’s degree from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Apiafi’s educational background has equipped her for her various roles in public service.
She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2007, representing the Abua/Odual-Ahoada East Federal Constituency of Rivers State.
During her twelve-year tenure in the House, she was a strong advocate for different causes, including women’s empowerment, education, and legislative reforms. She was also instrumental in amending the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
Throughout her time in the House of Representatives, Apiafi chaired several key committees, including the House Committee on Health, and served as the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora.
In 2019, Betty Apiafi was elected to the Nigerian Senate, representing the Rivers West Senatorial District under the banner of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Apiafi is currently the chairman of the Committee on Women Affairs and is a member of various other committees, including Health, Legislative Compliance, and Petroleum (Upstream), among others In the Senate.
10. Ireti Kingibe
Ireti Kingibe is a Nigerian civil engineer turned politician. She currently serves as a Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), having assumed office on June 13, 2023.
Kingibe has been affiliated with the Labour Party since 2022, after a series of political affiliations including the Social Democratic Party, All Nigeria Peoples Party, Peoples Democratic Party, and All Progressives Congress.
She started her education at Emotan Preparatory School, followed by Queen’s College Lagos and Washington Irving High School for her secondary education. Then she pursued her passion for engineering, earning a degree from the University of Minnesota.
She served as a Quality Control Engineer at Bradley Precast Concrete Inc. and worked with the Minnesota Department of Transportation Design unit.
After she returned to Nigeria, she contributed to infrastructure projects with the Nigerian Air Force and various construction companies.
Her entry into politics dates back to 1990 when she was appointed as an Adviser to the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party.
And, she has contested for political offices under different party banners, winning the FCT senatorial seat in 2023 under the Labour Party.
Kingibe’s tenure has been subject to controversy, surrounding the declaration of her election victory by the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2023. Despite opposition claims of irregularities, she stood firm, maintaining the legitimacy of her win.
