MEET NIGERIA'S FEMALE DEPUTY GOVERNORS. (PHOTO).

Meet Nigeria’s female Deputy Govs

The number of women in politics continues to increase over time unlike when women were excluded.

Here are the current female Deputy Governors in Nigeria:

Noimot Salako-Oyedele (Ogun)

She has been the Deputy Governor in Ogun State since 2019 under the All Progressive Congress (APC).

She was born on January 8, 1966 into the family of Prof. Lateef Akinola Salako and Mrs Rahmat Adebisi Salako.

Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele, is from Ota in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.

She is married to a former Permanent Secretary in Lagos State.

Her position as a Deputy Governor is the first political position she held since she ventured into politics in 2015. Before this she was a practicing consultant, contractor and real estate manager. She served as a Graduate Engineer and Project Manager at Ove Arup & Partners between 1989 and 1995 in the United Kingdom.

Engineer Salako-Oyedele also was the Managing Director, NOS Nigeria Limited between 1995 and 2014. She became the Chief Executive Officer between 2014 and 2015 at Glenwood Property Development Company Limited where she served as General Manager Business Development. She became the Acting Managing Director, Grenadines Homes Limited in 2015.

Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom)

Eyakenyi

Eyakenyi was born on November 28, 1965 in Numan, Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa state and she is happily married with children.

She started her political career in 1991 when she was appointed as Supervisor for Education, Youth, Sports and Culture and Executive Chapter President of the Better Life Programme in Oron Local Government Area. From there she was appointed as Board Member 1, Akwa Ibom State Secondary Education Board in 1999, Commissioner for Industry, Commerce and Tourism, From 2000 to 2005, she was the Chairman Akwa Ibom State Technical Schools Board from 2013 to 2014, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in the same year. 

Then she became Chairman Governing Council, Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic between 2016 and 2018. 

She was the Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District from 2019 to May 2023 before she got elected into her current position as the first First Female Elected Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State under the political umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Kaletapwa George Farauta (Adamawa)

Kaletapwa Farauta is a renowned academic and politician, currently serving as the deputy governor-elect of Adamawa State.

Farauta was born on the 28th of November, She comes from the Numan Local Government Area in Adamawa state and she is married with children.

She was the chairman of Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board (ADSUBEB) in 2014.

Farauta also served as the Commissioner of the Adamawa Ministry of Higher Education from 2015 to 2017. She was then appointed as the acting vice-chancellor of Adamawa State University, Mubi by former Governor Muhammad Jibrilla Bindow in 2017. She thereafter assumed the position of Vice Chancellor at the same university from 2017 to 2022.

This was the last position she occupied before she was elected Deputy Governor of Anambra state under the Umbrella of The People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe (Kaduna)

Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe is a medical practitioner and Deputy Governor of Kaduna State since 2019. She is the first elected female Deputy Governor and in the entire northwestern geopolitical zone. She was elected during the 2019 Governorship Election under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Balarabe was born on 26 August 1966 into the family of Alhaji Abubakar Balarabe in Sanga Local Government Area. She served as the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency before becoming the Deputy Governor to Nasir El-Rufai in 2019.

In March 2023, she was re-elected Deputy Governor.

Monisade Christiana Afuye (Ekiti)

Chief Mrs Monisade Afuye

She assumed office in 2022 under the political platform of the Action People’s Congress (APC). She was born into a royal family of Late Prince Noah Afeni Adegboye and Queen Esther Adegboye on September 28, 1958 and a native of Ikere Ekiti in Ekiti State She was Women Leader within the Ekiti APC State Executive Council. She is married with children and grandchildren.

She assumed office in 2023 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Piyo was a former member of the Plateau Assembly in 1999. She was also a Special Advisor to the Governor of Plateau State from 2008 to 2012.

She served as the chairperson of Riyom Local Government Area in 2014.

Ngozi Nma Odu (Rivers)

She was elected during the 2023 Rivers election under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The Deputy Governor was born on October 23, 1952 in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State.

Odu climbed the ranks within the Rivers State Ministry of Health until she became the Permanent Secretary from 1999 to 2006.

She was appointed Commissioner of Education in 2006.

Patricia Obila (Ebonyi)

Obila was born on June 12, 1975 in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. In 2003, she won a seat in the Ebonyi Assembly.

Patricia Obila was also two-time Vice Chairman of Afikpo North LGA. In 2007, she contested for the position of Deputy Governor but was unsuccessful. She is the first female Deputy Governor since the creation of the State in 1996.