Aisha Buhari: A quintessential First Lady at 50
By Ogaga Ariemu
Before Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, many Nigerians had a low opinion of the office of First ladies which they perceived as a conduit pipe to divert public resources for personal advantage. The office is treated with suspicion and cynicism, if not outright hostility, by the citizens.
In fact, majority of First ladies before her had boisterous public appearances as well as political and financial scandals during their days in office.
But Mrs. Buhari seems to have changed public perception of what the office is really all about, subsequently bringing calm and harmony to the seat of power. Over the years, she has been an embodiment beauty and intellect.
Nigerian NewsDirect learnt from available documents that Aisha Buhari thinks profoundly and rigorously about the country’s challenges. Not only this, she has in many forums come up with suggestions and ideas to promote public good.
In the United States, former First Ladies – Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama are widely respected for the social causes they promoted through the office, it is for same reasons Nigerians, especially women would never forget her transformational enterprises.
Born on February 17, 1971, in a small city in Adamawa State, North-east Nigeria to the family of the first Minister of Defense, Alhaji Mohammadu Ribadu who happens to be her paternal grandfather, Mrs. Buhari holds a Bachelor degree in public administration from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. She also has in her academic kitty a master’s degree in International Affairs and Strategic Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.
In addition to that, she bagged a Diploma in Beauty Therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy, Windsor, United Kingdom.
As first lady, Hajia Buhari, has become a role model for women. She is an advocate for women and youth empowerment, Education, health, and protection of rights of women and children.
Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has clocked 50 today and her endearing contributions to nation building would always be remembered.
The first lady, through the Aisha Buhari Foundation has been a strong voice and a leading light in the advocacy against all forms of sexual abuse and domestic violence against women and Children.
The foundation through the Future Assured Programme has focused essentially in making a difference in the lives of women and children by addressing challenges in the area of reproductive, maternal, new-born, child and adolescent health.
Her interest in health was because she is conscious of the pervasive health outcomes which have remained unchanged over time and the need to compliment the effort of government to facilitate the achievement of better health outcomes.
No wonder, courtesy of the first lady, a fully equipped maternity complex was erected at the Daura General Hospital Katsina State, and Federal Teaching Hospital, Yola, with a view to expanding the network of maternity services accessible to women across the country.
Many boreholes have also been constructed in communities with water problems and even IDP camps.
Using the Get Involved platform which was launched to generate funds for the improvement of the nutritional status of malnourished children across the country, especially those in IDP camps, over N200 million worth of goods was raised and distributed across the country.
Health screening exercises were conducted for children and women to encourage them to be health conscious with diseases that kill women, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and kidney function in focus.
Aside achieving a healthy life for the women and children, Mrs. Buhari has also used many platforms to highlight the importance of education and the role it played in her own life.
“Our children are our future. Education of our children is the best way to secure the future of our country,” the president’s wife said while drawing attention to lack of education for girls around the world.
Notwithstanding the slim resources that comes her way, Mrs. Buhari has continued to support and inspire young people.
Hajia Buhari presently supports school girls with school bags and writing materials across the country, while also providing scholarships to indigent primary school students to support their education.
Through the Youth Education Empowerment Programme (YEEP), the wife of the president is assisting a large number of youths struggling to transit from secondary to tertiary institutions through tutorial classes.
The First Lady, no doubt sees women empowerment as very critical to family sustenance. Skills and entrepreneurship training such as paint making, leatherworks, bead making, cosmetics, perfumery, Fashion design, barbing and saloon have taken place in many states across the country.
To encourage women farmers, Hajia Buhari is involved in mobilizing women to venture into agriculture and take advantage of opportunities provided by government in terms of improved seedlings, fertilizer and other agricultural inputs especially in the area of fisheries, livestock and poultry.
Apart from acquiring 40 rice milling machines and 45 fish driers for the use of women farmers across the country at no cost to them, she also encourages them to access loans and facilities provided by the Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, CBNs NIRSAL and Micro-finance Banks.
Victims of the long age Boko Haram insurgency were also not left to their fate. Through her foundation, the First Lady has supported Internally Displaced Persons that return to their communities with relief materials including foodstuff, clothing, beddings, plastic containers, mats, blankets, and building materials.
Over six trailer loads of roofing zinc, roofing and noggin wood, assorted nails and asbestos ceiling have been distributed.
In line with her focus on youth, the first batch of 500 youths just concluded training in paint making, leatherwork, barbing/pedicure/manicure as well as fish and rabbit farming in Kano.
Many families have also been supported with grinding mills, sewing machines, rickshaws, spaghetti makers.
Hajia Buhari, alongside First Lady of Niger Republic also introduced a project to rally first Ladies of West African states to adopt a strategy that allows them to provide adequate social and economic support to refugee women and children in the Lake Chad Basin.
While the Project was unveiled at UNGA in 2017, technical meetings are ongoing.
For the love she has for the aged, parents of Buni Yadi Boys and Chibok girls were supported with 55 million naira being the total proceeds from the launch of Her Excellency’s book “Essentials of Beauty Therapy.”
She is currently constructing an orphanage and school primarily for the children in the IDP camps.
Mrs. Buhari has always been the vanguard of women that have suffered gender-based violence including battery and rape
To make reality her advocacy, the First Lady had declared war against abuse of vulnerable people through a well-attended workshop in Abuja, calling for the review of disproportionate punishments against abusers.
In an apparent disapproval to the abduction and other maltreatment of girls, Hajia Buhari recently launched a campaign “Leave our daughters alone” which has reverberated around the country.
The First lady further added her voice against stigmatization of people with intersex conditions (hermaphrodites), sponsoring surgeries for affected people to retain one chosen sex and called attention to children with hydrocephalus and other related conditions, while sponsoring surgeries for victims.
At the global stage, Mrs. Buhari has been on the forefront championing the fight against the spread of Tuberculosis and HIV. Due to her diligence to duty and incessant advocacy, in 2018, she was appointed the United Nations AIDS special ambassador for the elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Promotion of treatment for Children Living with HIV in Nigeria.
Before the expiration of her one year tenure, the First Lady was able to advocate for increased access to antenatal care services and HIV testing for pregnant women and their linkage to treatment.
Her birthday this year coincided, unfortunately, with the coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging humanity but Mrs. Buhari had added her voice to the call for Nigerians to obey COVID-19 safety protocols.
Nevertheless, one of the most controversial things about Hajia Buhari proved to be her ability to speak truth to power no matter whose ox is gored. This prominent feature of her seems to have earned her recognition even at the international community. To her, rendering service to humanity triumphs any political consideration and it is that fascinating notion about her that has endeared her to the citizens irrespective of the political class.
Indeed, when the history of the office of the First Lady in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic is written, much space will be given to a quintessential woman, who made citizens’ welfare her priority.
As she clocks 50 years today her legacy has remained overtly unprecedented, not just as the nation’s first lady and fierce defender of her husband’s policies, but also as a champion for a healthier nation, women, youth empowerment and access to educational opportunity.
