A History of Maryam Babangida’s Pet Programme in Jos From 1985-1993
CHAPTER ONE
AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study is to analyse the factors that motivated the establishement of the Better life program. The objectives are to;
- To investigate and historicise the activities of Maryam Babangida’s pet programme(BLP) in Jos from 1985-1993.
- To examine the achievements of the Better life Program among the women in Jos.
- To study the challenges that the Better life program faced in Jos.
- To identify the factors that led to the establishment of BLP in Jos
- To historicise the activities of Maryam Babangida’s pet programme(BLP) in Jos from 1985-1993.
- To establish the achievements of the Better Life Programme among the women in Jos.
- To show the challenges that the Better Life Program faced in Jos.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Despite the economic, socio-cultural and political roles played by women in both traditional and modern societies, their discriminations are often expressed in the appalling widowhood/inheritance practices, domestic violence, occupational/political discriminations, and the seeming anonymity of the women except through their fathers, brothers, and sons in most Nigerian societies have eroded the confidence of many Nigerian women in maximizing their full potentials in the national development discourse. Within the indigenous religious spheres, women are majorly confined to perform priestess roles involving women and children as Olija Ononya, (priestess in Yala). Even the patriarchal tone and illustrations of the Bible diminishes the equality posture of women, when interpreted by most religious men. This is reinforced by the sexist or gender-based division of labour, reward, prestige or power in the Nigerian context of gender relations (Okpeh and Angya 10).
Nigerian women have in decades past manifested their ingenuity by organizing themselves into various groups like, Aba Women’s Association, Egba Women’s Union, Enugu Professional and Business Women’s Club, Nigerian Women’s Union, National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Women in Nigeria (WIN), University Women’s Association. There were the associations of the wives of military and para-military officers like: Army Officers’ Wives Association, Navy Officers’ Wives Association, and the Police Officers’ Wives’ Association (Attoe 34-35). These associations, Stella Attoe maintains mobilized women to combat colonial excesses in the East and West- the Aba Women’s revolt of 1929 and the Egba women protest against the Alake of Egbaland in 1942, the 1949 demonstration of the Aba Women’s Association in reaction to the Enugu colliery massacre (35). Nigeria women’s colonial agitations gained currency from the 1920s. Southern Nigerian women leaders like Chiefs Fumilayo Ransom-Kuti and Margaret Ekpo, “both got inspired into political activism from their racial experiences in Europe and colonial Nigeria” (Odey, “The Nigerian Women in Political Development…” 9). While the politically-conscious Hajiya Gambo Sawaba used the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) to mobilize women in Northern Nigeria (Odey, “Military and Non-Military Threats…” 138). These women, no doubt were trailblazers in liberating Nigeria and Nigerian women from the paroxysms of colonialism; and socio-economic and political empowerments.
Within the political space, the glass ceiling thickens to near impregnable point in terms of political participation. The convention since Nigeria’s political independence has foreclosed Nigerian women from the position of President, Vice President, Senate President, Service Chiefs among others. Only recently, the University of Calabar got the first ever female Vice Chancellor, Professor Florence Obi (the 11th Vice Chancellor). And Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is at the verge of making history in the headship of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the contemporary Queen Amina and Moremi of Nigerian women, Aisha Yesufu whose rights activism from the #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS to the #ENDSARSNOW nationwide protests.
CHAPTER THREE
WOMEN’S RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT AND PROTECTION ALTERNATIVE (WRAPA)
Fati Abubakar, an accomplished Jurist and wife of General Abdulsalam Abubakar was initially not keen on the upholding the tradition of establishing a pet project. Preoccupied with her career as a jurist and the transitional nature of her husband’s administration (8th June 1998 to May 29th 1999), she established the Woman Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) during the twilight of the regime in 1999. This NGO was founded to articulate the advocacy for the advancement and protection of women’s rights, given her legal background. WRAPA notes that, “Women as a group in Nigeria, suffer a series of deprivation, discrimination and degrading practices in their private and public life. They are victims and survivors of different forms and expressions of injustices and are grossly underrepresented in decision making structures” (wrapanigeria.org).
CHAPTER FOUR
WOMEN AND YOUTHS EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION (WAYEF)
The Women and Youths Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF) was the pet project of Turai Yaradua, the First Lady to the late President Umaru Yaradua. Although, the culture of pet projects by incumbent First Ladies has been ossified in the psyche of both the government and the governed. So, at the inception of every dispensation, it was only natural to have the inauguration of a project. Under Turai as First Lady, the elastic influence of her office and pet projects extended to youth empowerment. The project made impact in five aspects of need and services to the vulnerable. WAYEF provided eye services for cataract and, child blindness cases. There was maternal and new born health improvement programmes. There was screening programme for breast and cervical cancer (Ihenacho 141). The operational mandate of WAYEF also included HIV/AIDS and STD intervention programmes, and, the Diabetes Awareness and Education Programmes. Women and the less privileged thronged these centres. The remarkable achievements recorded in this aspect of her crusade earned her the honorary award of National Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) (142).
CHAPTER FIVE
Conclusion
Women are critical partners in progress from the household to the international fora. The restriction of women from occupying the office of president in many countries around the globe has rather become a blessing in disguise with the creation of the office of First Lady unknown to any constitution. The Nigerian First Ladies have demonstrated their resilience to the inhibiting glass ceiling with the establishment of pet projects to transform the socio-economic and political fortunes of women, the elderly, and children- the vulnerable population of the polity. The realization of the objectives of these pet projects have been jinxed by some challenges.
It is expected that engaging an efficient and vibrant leadership to drive the ideals of the First Ladies’ projects in Nigeria is a necessity. The failure in project leadership is largely responsible for the dwindling fortunes of projects. Thus, the basis for the recruitment of these desired leadership should not be solely political. There exist an avalanche of professionals from which these leaders can be sourced. Also, the personalities of these leaders matter a lot. These projects have advocated family/moral values and the woman as a purveyor of these values. Hence, the society should be presented with women who exude these virtues to propagate same to others and discountenance the prevailing stereotype that question the moral standing of women in politics which is peddled by some male and female politicians to discourage women’s participation in politics.
The socio-economic, ethno-religious, and political variations in Nigeria should be a source of unity of purpose rather than division. Women empowerment has been the fulcrum of all the pet projects launched by Nigeria’s First Ladies. The commonality of discrimination, oppression, and suppression to women by the patriarchal society should galvanize women for development. Women’s predatory activities against fellow women is anti-developmental. It erodes whatever lofty principles that are constructed to reposition the Nigerian women. The issue of corruption should be addressed as there are cases of diversion of interventions by women leaders for personal use or distributions based on parochial sentiments which divide Nigeria the more. Thus, while the Nigerian society has joined and sustained the culture of First Lady with empowerment interventions for the vulnerable sections of the population, the identified challenges need to be addressed to avoid the conclusion that pet projects are conduits for financial impropriety, political maneuvering of the women and youthful population and the furtherance of women elitism and predatory activities against fellow women
REFERENCES
- Aina, Olabisi I. “Women, Culture and Society.” In Nigerian Women in Society and Development, Edited by Adamu Sesay and Adetanwa Odebiyi, 3-32. Ibadan: Dokun Publishing House, 1998.
- Ajayi, Kunle. The Concept of First Lady and Politics in Nigeria. Dakar: Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, 2010.
- Arum, I. “Women NGO’s and Women Empowerment in Nigeria” African Research Review, Vol.4, (3b) July, 2010, 272-280.
- Attoe, Stella E. A. Women Empowerment and Nation Building in Nigeria. Calabar: University of Calabar Press, 2004. aishababangida.com.ng
- Child Care Trust. childcaretrust.org.ng. Accessed 13th October, 2020.
- Dantiye, Safiya I. and Bello, Mohammed. “As Strong-Willed Turai Quits, Nigerians Wonder
- What Kind of First Lady Patience Jonathan Will Be” DAILY TRUST May 9, 2010. dailytrust.com. Accessed 15th October, 2020.
- Ejikeme, Eustace. “Women for Change Initiative and Leadership Challenges” VANGUARD
- February 10, 2011. vanguardngr.com. 17th October, 2020.
- Ewache, Ajefu. “Patience Jonathan Flags off ‘Women For Change Initiative’” THE NIGERIA VOICE July 19, 2010. thenigerianvoice.com. Accessed 18th October, 2020.
- Iheanacho, N. N. “First Ladies in Nigeria: The Rise of Amazon Crusaders for Better Life of the Vulnerable” Advances in Applied Sociology, 6, 2016, 134-146. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/aasoci.2016.63011. Accessed 13th October, 2020.
- Julien, Lisa-Anne. “Africa’s First Ladies: Unofficial Influencers” AFRICA PORTAL 24 October, 2018. africaportal.org. Accessed 17th October, 2020.
