CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
First ladyship has its origin in the United States of America. According to history, it originated in 1849 when president Zachary Taylor called Dolley Madison “first lady” at her funeral while reciting her eulogy, However, it was said to have gained wider recognition in 1877 when Mary C. Amees wrote an article in the New York city newspaper, the Independent, describing the inauguration of president Rutherford B. Hayes – she was quoted as having used the term to describe Lucy Webb Hayes. The term is now used all over the world to describe the wife of president or head of state. In Nigeria, apart from using it to designate the president wife, it is also used for wives of Governors and those of Local government chairman. Much was not heard of this term in Nigeria until the administration of Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd) came to power in 19851.
Nigeria in recent years, has witnessed a number of programmes introduced by her first ladies, broadly aimed at improving the socio-economic situation and also making women contribute to the growth of the economy. Before the Babangida regime (1985 – 1993), no first lady’s presence was felt beyond the gates of the former state house – Dodan barracks. Ajoke Mohammed, wife of the Late General Murtala Muhammed became a publicly known figure only after her husband’s assassination. For General Olusegun Obasanjo and President Shehu Shagari, there were no publicly known first ladies although the two were undoubtedly family men. Safinatu Buhari was known to the public only briefly as she made a few outings and participated in a few public events.
Mrs. Maryam Babangida came with a new image of the first lady vocal, determined and fashioned conscious, she was an elegant woman that brought glamour and grace to the position of first lady and it significant, almost as a sort of government parastatal. She was born as Miss Maryam King on November 1st 1948 at Asaba in Delta State. Had her education at covenant primary school, queen Amina College in Kaduna, federal training centre Kaduna and La sale extension university in Chicago USA.2 She later got married to General Ibrahim Babangida in 1969 and had two sons and two daughters. Maryam Babangida was the president, Nigerian Army officers Association (NAOWA), she founded the BLPRW, she also lobbied key government decisions dealing with women issues. She was the recipient of many national and international awards, like the international recognition award with Mrs. Kenyatta and Winnie Mandela as past recipients of the award. Mrs. Maryam Babaginda died in December 2009 of Ovarian cancer.
Mrs. Maryam Babangida also brought with her another important aspect in governance recognizing that women played and still plays an important role in agricultural production, she introduced the better life programme for rural women meant to empower particularly rural women socially and economically, in order to enable them gain economic emancipation. The programme went in line with the drive for women empowerment in the world. This move created a new turn of events in first ladyship and the study of women in Nigeria. Nigerian women realized that their responsibility does not end in the kitchen and have come together to form associations such as National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Nigerian Army officers wives association (NAOWA) etc. with the aim of women development.
The better life programme for rural women was a pathfinder for women all over Nigeria, it made subsequent first ladies decide to contribute their quota towards women development. After the better life program (BLP), came the family support programme, which aimed at addressing issues affecting the average Nigerian family. One of its goals, was to eliminate all forms of discrimination which degraded Nigerian family. One of its goals was to eliminate all forms of discrimination which degraded women as human beings (such as wife battering) and to support entrepreneurial development through greater participation by women in all spheres of the economy, particularly through improved access to credit facilities for commercial and other ventures she instantly become a rallying point for the women folk because many women and especially the rural poor, who never had such bountiful opportunities in the past, saw her as a source of hope and a symbol of emancipation in a men dominated polity.
Despite sitting on the crest of political power in Nigeria, Maryam Babangida remained modest in her approach and opened to constructive criticisms which endeared her to the Nigerian public. Women responded to her as a role model, and her appeal lasted long after her husband fell from power. Over a decade after her husband left office Mrs. Babangida attempted relaunching the better life programme but at this time on a continental level. The new project which was conceived sometime earlier started making news late in 2003 and was re-christened better life programme for Africa women. It was designed in such a way that it would accommodate wives of other African first ladies as members.4
This programme as well as subsequent pet projects by Nigerian first ladies lacked continuity after the first lady leaves office. Other pet programmes by first ladies includes family support program by Maryam Abacha wife of General Sani Abacha, Women’s Right Advancement Programm (WRAPA) by Justice Fati Abubakar the Wife of Abdusallami Abubakar, Child care Trust by Stella Obasanjo wife of General Olusegun Obasanjo .