Every city in Nigeria has it’s set of celebrity women. Lagos has a lot, just as Port Harcourt, the Oil city has its fair share of the women whose names ring a bell all the time, either in business, politics or social matters. IBRAHIM SULEIMAN, our Northern Correspondent listed Kaduna’s most flamboyant women. Where are these ladies now?
HAJIYA MAIRO HABIB
Dresses simply, but elegantly. Cute, mobile and a politician to the core, married to a medical doctor. Mairo contested the Kaduna State governorship primaries and lost, still she was every where, assisting the poor, in her free time and was always cruising round town with her husband in their Mercedez coupe. Once voted best senior couple in Kaduna.
HAJIYA LATA TOMBAI
Owner of a pioneer private school in Kaduna, Lata owned Labayi International School, highly influential and rich. her children were all abroad schooling. She floated an NGO, Arewa Youth Forum. She was generous and loved children.
HUSSAINA KURFI
Some called her Iron Lady, the widow wife of late Nigerian envoy to the Netherlands. Ambassador Iro Ladun Baki, who left a fortune for her and her five children. She owned many item of properties in Kaduna, Abuja and Katsina and drives a Previa space wagon and a Mercedez Benz. Highly connected and a serious minded business woman.
PATRICIA ONEYA
Two-time first lady of both Kano and Benue State, owned PAFDOT boutique and furniture located in Benue Plaza at Mohammed Buhari Way, Kaduna. She was rich and easy going.
KOTANGORA
Wife of a former Kano and Benue States Governor. She was rich in all sense of the word and also owned FAHASS, a gift shop, at Benue Plaza. She is quiet, but rich.
AISHA MOHAMMED
Cute and beautiful, she worked with the legal department of the defunct Habib Bank. She was said to be hardworking and drove a Benz.
STELLA EKPERIGIN
A charming and easy-going lady. She was into interior decoration and landscaping, well to do and on account of her business had done many interior decoration and landscaping jobs for top individuals and corporate organisations. Her home in Kaduna boasted one of the finest goodness. She clocked 40 that year.
Hajiya laila dogonyaro
Highly influential and one time NCWS President, and Secretary, defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) rich and held the traditional title of Garkuwar Garki in Jigawa State. She was married to Ambassador MBG Dongonyaro owned many of property in Kaduna, Kano and Abuja. She was President of Women Opinion Leaders Forum.
HAJIYA BINTA YAR’ADUA
Wife of a great Nigerian politician, the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. She currently held the ace in the family. She was rich and humble and she gave her daughter out in marriage to a Yoruba man, the wedding was witnessed by the who is who in Nigeria.
HAJIYA LATABAL GUMEL
Wife of late Minister of Industries, General I.D. Gumel, a business woman to the core and very rich. She was into business since her husband was a Major in the Army coupled with her family’s pedigree in mercantile, she kept the flag flying with her firm grip on NIYYA farms, NIYYA Petroleum and NIYYA flour mills. She owned the only amusement park facing the government house in Kaduna. Very religious, she was also a philanthropist to the core, visited her late husband’s farms once in a month to supervise workers. Built many of Islamic schools for children and women.
HANNY MUSA MUSAWA
Delectable charming and very intelligent Buckingham University-trained Lawyer is the daughter of veteran politician, Musa Musawa. She had completed her Law School Programme and her general interest magazine later hit the newsstands.
JOSEPHINE FARRIS
She was the Director of multi-billion naira Yar’Adua foundation. A black American who was converted to Islam by the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. Highly connected and working tirelessly day-in-day out to keep the legacies of the late Tafida aglow.
ANN
She was a sister to the wife of Kaduna-based Chief Sunny Okogwu, touted to be highly enterprising with a knack for constructing edifices of high class. She started as a contractor with CBN where she won juicy contracts during IBB’s regime, and had three multimillion naira modern duplexes on Nnamdi Azikiwe Express Way, while some were under construction in Sabon Tasha and Marafa Estate. A queen pin in the property business, she drove a Mercedez coupe with her cell phone always as her companion.
HABIBNA OBINECHE
Highly cosmopolitan. Married to Dr. Obineche, she hailed from Minna in Niger State and was a business woman who owned Habony, she also led a women NGO in Kaduna and drove Benz.
HANATU BALOGUN
Charming and beautiful lawyer who hails from Kaduna, but married to a Yoruba man. Had a bright future in her career, simple unassuming and mixed freely with her colleagues.
NAFISAT SULEIMAN MOHAMMED
This NTA Newcaster was also a Nawojian. She was married to a one-time MD of FRCN, Mohammed Suleiman. She was beautiful and a regular face on NTA Kaduna.
BILKISU BABANGIDA
Mobile and upcoming broadcaster currently pulling the strings for the Voice of America (VOA).
TAMANI YUSUF
The lady with a sweet voice, a delight to listen to whenever she was presenting a programme. The ebony skin broadcaster is a face to be reckoned with in the broadcasting world.
AISHA KABIR-YUSUF
Prolific writer and wife of Weekly Trust Editor-In-Chief, Kabiru Yusuf, quite beautiful and wrote beautifully too.
NANA AISHA ABU ALI
Wife of former military governor of Bauchi State, Nana Aisha, a publisher is a business woman of International repute. She was into interior decoration and owned a Gift shop and business centre on Bank road called Galactic. Then she sat atop the latest hotel in town as the Managing Director of Excel Inn on constitution road.
BINTA KOJE
Ex-new Nigerian ex-staffer. The Adamawa State born politician was member of Parliament was a Kaduna woman by all standard. She attended her secondary and higher schools in Kaduna. She defeated a rich boy, Musa Baba Saleh in the House of Reps election. Owned a modest home in Banawa Kaduna.
FLORENCE AYA
She was a member of Federal parliament was a one-time member of Kaduna State House of Assembly loved by all and a hardworking woman. She owned a filling station on Kaduna Road. she was rich and dressed well.
MARINA MOHAMMED
Beautiful and vivacious, wife of Senator Yusuf Mohammed Makarfi, a woman activist who was rich by all standard. She donated many bags of grains to the millenium Hope Programme, governor Makarfi’s wife pet project. She was said to be humble and very religious.
LADI HAMALAI
A brilliant and beautiful woman to have come out from that part of the country. Former lecturer University of Maiduguri, but later moved to NDA Kaduna. She was a member of vision 2010 and had written lots of books and articles in Nigerian newspapers on dialectics of Nigerian socio-economic problems. Simple, humble and a easy-going woman who was comfortable by all standards.
SARAH JIBRIL
Former Presidential aspirant on the platform of the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP, a widely travelled woman and a strong advocate of women liberation, also an ambassador of an international NGO.
FATIMA HAMZA
A woman activist, who rose to become a Commissioner in charge of Women Affairs during Col. Hammed Ali’s tenure as Governor of Kaduna State. She was a top member of an International NGO.
REBECCA SAKO JOHN
A hardworking lady committed to women liberation and empowerment. The woman activist was one of the powerful ladies in Kaduna.
FATI MAZANGARI
Top-flight business woman, Fati was into Oil. For 15 years, she had been an Oil marketer and the First Lady from the North to embark on such business. She traveled abroad regularly. She was generous and religious. On account of her Oil deals at Kaduna refinery, she smiled to the bank everyday.
RAHILA CUDJOE
Jurist, a top flight female Chief Judge was the first woman lawyer in Kaduna State. She was the first indigenous legal draughtsman for Kaduna State and first woman High Court Judge in Kaduna State. Cute and operates quietly and drove a Honda Accord.
RAMATU LUKMAN
She was quite unassuming and the very beautiful laughter of Obasanjo’s presidential adviser on petroleum, wife of the late General I.D Gumel. She was into real estate. Feelers reaching us indicated that with the death of the former Minister, she had since remained.
MARYAM GIDADO
Wife of a former S.G Idris Gidado, a philanthropist to the core, and business woman. She hailed from Southern Kaduna. Very rich and religious. She had built mosque and Islamic schools as well as sponsored many to the holy land.
SAUDATU SANI
She handled Governor Makarfi’s wife Hope Programme. A former Local Governmenmt boss, Saudatu was said to be a close confidant of Asmau Makarfi.
SAFIYA TUKUR
A technocrat to the core, she was a Principal of Government Day Secondary School, and Director-General, Ministry of Agriculture, and quite a well respected woman in the Kaduna Civil Service circle.
HADIZA ABDULLAHI BAKOJI
Wife of a Kaduna-based young millionaire, Abdullahi Bakon, a complete house wife, but did some buying and selling-she was rich in all sense of the word.
PATRICIA JUMMAI DANMIADA
An Educationist, one time chairperson, Chikun local government. She was also a Commissioner for Education during Col. Hameed Ali’s tenure.
MARTHA ALI MADAKI
Owns Ajastly, one of the well-stocked boutique located in the UTC building in Kaduna, and married to Garba Ali Madaki Minister of State for Works. She was a fine and gracious woman who treated all her customers like kings. When her husband was appointed a Minister, she shuttled between Kaduna and Abuja, rich and very religious.
MAIMUNA ZAYYAD
She is called Mummy, a retired nurse, wife ofAlhaji Hamza Zayyad, a former Privatisation boss. She was well known and respected in Kaduna for her love, kindness and generosity.
EDNA IYORSHE
She is the Falcon at Hamdala Hotel, a brilliant and beautiful woman. She held the record of heading the octopal NNIDC in an acting capacity when a former MD finished his tenure. She also headed the outfit property division, before coming on board to head Hamdala Hotel by becoming its first MD. The hotel was established about 40 years ago, changed the fortunes of the hotel to greater heights.
RABI DUBA
Wife of General Garba Duba. The hard working woman was rich by all standards. She ran many business outfits in Kaduna but she was humble to a fault.
BUNMI LABARAN KAGO
Delectable and cosmopolitan in all ramifications, a woman with the heart of a man, rich and hardworking. She was into property development and owns some of the choicest properties on Rabah Road, Kaduna.
HAUWA ABUBAKAR YAR’ADUA
Wife of one-time Managing Director of Kaduna Refining Petro-Chemical Company, owned the popular Habil fast foods on Mohammadu Bubari Way, which was fast growing on account fo the VIPs that throng the fast food outlet on a daily basis.
AISHA ALIKO MOHAMMED
Wife of a former stock exchange boss, Alhaji Aliko Mohammed. She was an entrepreneur who liked her husband had contributed tothe socio-economic development of Kaduna State. She was also a philanthropist having assisted the needy, particularly women and children. She was also a patron of many organisations and NGOs.
FARIDA DANKAKA
One of the leading distributors of Dangote products in Kaduna. She opened a multi-million naira warehouse on Kano Road. The building consisted of the office and warehouse. Farida, was a widely travelled lady. She is a woman who believed that honesty is the best policy hence her success in business. Her entry into the Kaduna business circle took everyone by surprise. She dressed cutely, but expensively.
HAFSAT SULE AHMAN
One of the best lady legal practitioners to have come out of the North. A one-time first lady of Enugu State, and wife of Col. Sule Ahman. Unlike her other colleagues, she went into full time practice. She owned the hitcech and ultra-modern Asarauniya chambers in the highbrow Sarki area of Kaduna. She won several cases. She drove round town in either a Musso Jeep or RAVA. Highly educated and cosmopolitan in all her undertakings.
BILIKISU ABDULLAHI IBRAHIM
Wife of a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, easy going, rich and very religious. Bilikisu commited her whole life to the service of the Almighty Allah. She was a silent philanthropist, who did not capitalise on her husband various posts to showcase herself, instead she assisted the poor and promoted the Islamic faith.
BINTA JAMES AUDU
Wife of the late ace braodcaster, James Audu. Since she lost her mother and husband, she had been living a quiet life at her Gwamna Road residence. She was hardly visible except on Sundays when she went to church.
AISHATU PAMELA SADAUKI
Beautiful and over 50, but still looking radiant and elegant. Former Deputy Governor of Kaduna State under Tanko Ayuba, was married to David Sadauki, a former Minister of State for Health. She is the senior sister of Binta James Audu. She lives quietly in Kaduna and held forth at the hillside farms as well as heading a foundation committed to the well being of the down trodden.
AMINA IBRAHIM
One of the movers of Afri Project Consortium, that powerful consultant of defunct PTF Amina was also a member of Institute of Directors (IOD) Kaduna chapter was a combination of brain and beauty. She held you spellbound with her analysis of issues, and was a delight to listen to whenever she spoke. She was married and shuttled between Abuja and Kaduna, indeed, she was one of the big women of Kaduna.
BILIKISU YUSUF
One time Editor, new Nigeria and Citizen Magazine, a prolific writer. She was the only female who attended a Senior Executive course at Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos. She is a member of FOMWAN and she was involved with the Peace Works Reconciliation Resources, a UK based NGO.
SAFINATU BUHARI
Ex-wife of a former Head of State and PTF Chairman, a divorcee, who was into buying and selling. She lived in Barnawa area of Kaduna.
MARIAM ODEY
She was formerly General Manager, Hamdala Hotel, a hardoworking hotel manager, she was instrumental to the success recorded by Hamdala Hotel during Nigeria 99. She later managed Command Guest Inn in Kaduna.
NEDNADI USMAN
The only female Commissioner in Governor Makarfi cabinet. She was also a Commissioner during the Dabo Lere administration in the third republic. Highly educated, she was married to Dr. Saad Usman, a one-time SSG of Kaduna State. Now a Director of Bank of the North.
ASIYA YAR’ADUA
Daughter of late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. She married Rotimi, in a wedding described as unparalleled in the history of Kaduna. She later resumed duties at the Bank Road branch of the defunct Habib Bank, where she was in the operations department.
MRS. ADEGBITE
She is from the Caribbean and owned an international school called Grays. Humble, rich and married to a one-time Director of British Council. Dr. Philip Adegbite.
NABILAH SANI
She is a combination of beauty and brain, elegant and precious, a banker who headed the credit Admin Dept. of the defunct Habib Bank. she is the most senior female banker at Habib, and was promoted to the rank of DGM. She hailed from Rivers State, but married to a Muslim who is also a banker. She was said to carry her staff along.
REKIYA MUSA USMAN
A Banker, she works with Chartered Bank.
HAJIYA FIKA
She is the power-house in Intercity, who cut her teeth at UBA before she moved on to Intercity. Well respected, highly connected, but what you couldn’t take away from her was that she knew her onions. She headed the human resources department of the bank.
FATIMA AHMED DASUKI
Pretty and very religious, she was the wife of a favourite son of a former Sultan Dasuki. Rich, but was always at home taking care of the children.
DUNNI ABDULLAHI
Wife of owner of Agromatrix, a cosmopolitan lady who was an architect by profession and a Yoruba, but married to a Niger man. She designed their residential quarters and office and cruised round town in Prelude, or, Pathfinder.
ZAINAB MAINA
Wife of a former Governor of Borno State. Col. Mohammed Maina (rtd), beautiful, more than 40, but looked radiant and charming. She was into the bakery business and owns one of the best bakeries in a town called Ambasa.
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