Nigeria’s first elected female senator Franca Afegbua has died at the age of 79.
The family announced her death in a statement on Sunday: “The Afegbua family of Edo state has confirmed the demise of the first woman senator in Nigeria, Senator Franca Afegbua, whose sad event occurred this morning, Sunday, March 12, 2023.
“She combined beauty and brain during her service to Nigeria. Funeral details will be announced by the family soon.”
Afegbua, 79, was a native of Okpella, a town in Etsako-East LGA of old Bendel State (now split into Edo and Delta states).
She was elected the senator representing Bendel-north in October 1983 under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the Second Republic.
The ex-lawmaker spoke with PLAC in a 2022 interview about the way she clinched her senatorial seat.
“People know that women keep to their promises. That was a major factor, a major one. I intended to keep my promises to my people, and I made them understand that,” Afegbua said.
“I think there has been some improvement since my time. There was no woman in the senate before me then but there are women now. Then, I was the only woman but now, there is more than one. I believe the number will increase gradually.
“I remember the day I was sworn in. I felt fulfilled but that did not stop me from continuing to engage with the women and youths in my community. Agitations for affirmative action to enable more women get into the legislature to address the low representation of women is good for women. I am happy we started something, and it is good others have built on our effort.
“My advice is that they should be determined and not lose focus. If they remain serious about their ambition to help their people, they should go ahead and run, and they can be successful.”
Wuraola Esan is Nigeria’s first female senator. Her emergence was not by election but by appointment. In the 1959 constitution, becoming a member of the Nigerian Senate was by appointment.
