Group wants monuments named after prominent Nigerian women

The Women in Politics forum, a non-governmental organisation, says it is disheartening that the federal government did not name any of the 15 airports after  Nigerian women.

NAN reports that Ebere Ifendu, chairperson of the organisation, spoke during an interview in Abuja.

President Bola Tinubu had recently named 15 airports after some renowned Nigerian men.

Reacting to the renaming, Ifendu said the exclusion of females from the list has shown that the efforts of women in nation-building were not recognised.

She said Nigerian women profoundly contributed to achieving independence, adding that they deserve to have national monuments named after them.

“Many Nigerian women contributed directly or indirectly to the attainment of independence and are still contributing immensely to national development,” she said.

“However, they are not often given the level of recognition required.

“We have women like Gambo Sawaba, Fumilayo Ransome Kuti and Maryam Babangida, who opened the path for Nigerian women and many more.

“These brave women defied our highly patriarchal setting to contribute to humanity and should be well celebrated at any given opportunity.

“For instance, I looked through the recent list of 15 airports renamed after some renowned Nigerians and I did not see any woman on the list.

“This is disheartening and I urge the federal government and relevant authorities to recognise women more.

”The only airport we have named after a woman in the whole of Nigeria is Magaret Ekpo International Airport in Cross River state.

“We are not just asking the federal government to name more airports after women but other national monuments.

“Women should also be represented in every sector of the economy in the present administration.”

The international airport in Calabar, Cross River state, was commissioned in 1983 by the late Shehu Shagari, the then president of Nigeria, who named the airport after Margaret Ekpo, a pioneering feminist and activist.