In 1994, my mother stepped through the gates of one of Nigeria’s federal universities in the North as a newly recruited confidential secretary. What she carried with her was more than just a job, it was a fierce determination to rise beyond the entry-level role. At the time, Nigerian workplaces were male-dominated, and women were often relegated to assistant roles rather than decision-makers. For a young woman like my mother, daring to envision a seat at the table where decisions were made, the path was far from smooth.
Her early years on the job were marked by dismissiveness, and harassment from male colleagues who believed women belonged in support roles. While it may have been easier to accept this, and remain in the shadows, my mother refused. She remained steadfast, fueled by ambition, competence, and hoped for a future where women could lead alongside men. Instead of letting the biases define her ceiling, she decided to push through them. She began to pursue higher qualifications while balancing her duties at work, not because the system made it easy, but because she believed her dreams were worth the struggle.
Breaking Barriers in Academia
Alongside her career, she became a wife, then a mother, and later a grandmother. She endured a failed marriage, raising five children alone. Many, especially her female colleagues, who were comfortable with what they got employed with at entry-level, expected her to slow down or even give up under the weight of those responsibilities, rather, she became even more determined. Over three decades, she earned a degree in Political Science, a postgraduate diploma in Public Policy Analysis, a postgraduate diploma in Education, a Master’s in Development Studies, a Master’s in Political Science, and is now at the final stage of her Ph.D. She accomplished all these while putting food on the table, paying school fees, and being present for her children. Today, she serves as Deputy Registrar at the very university where she began, symbolising the resilience and quiet power of trailblazing women who break barriers for themselves and future generations.