Franca Afegbua
Franca Afegbua | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senator for Bendel North | |
| In office October 1983 – 31 December 1983 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 October 1943 Okpella, Edo State, Nigeria |
| Died | 12 March 2023 (aged 79) |
| Party | National Party of Nigeria |
| Profession |
|
Franca Afegbua (20 October 1943 – 12 March 2023) was a Nigerian beautician and politician who represented Bendel North in the Nigerian Senate in 1983. Elected as a National Party of Nigeria (NPN) senator, she was the first elected woman senator in Nigeria.[1]
Early life and background
[edit]Afegbua was born in Okpella, Edo State in 1943 and completed her post-secondary education in Sofia, Bulgaria.[2] Prior to the beginning of the second republic, she worked as a hairdresser in Lagos serving high-income clients.[3] Afegbua had a close relationship with Joseph Tarka, who introduced her to his party, NPN. In 1983, when she announced her intention to make a challenge for a senatorial seat in Bendel, few felt that she could win.[3]
Career in beauty and business
[edit]Before entering politics, Afegbua worked as a professional hairdresser in Lagos, where she built a reputation serving high-profile clients. In 1977, she gained national attention after winning an international hairstyling competition. The recognition increased her popularity within her hometown and helped establish her public identity before entering politics.[3][4]
Political career
[edit]Afegbua entered politics through Joseph Tarka, who introduced her to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). At the time, Nigerian politics was heavily male-dominated. In 1983, she contested for the Bendel North senatorial seat.[4]
Her party was in opposition and the incumbent governor and senator were respected men in the community. But Afegbua, who had won an international hairstyling competition in 1977, strategized that wooing more women to vote could give her a victory. Her victory in the hairstyling competition had made her name popular within her Etsako community; she targeted women voters, and, as her campaign gained steam, it was too late to curb. She won a slim victory in the August election, defeating John Umolu. Her tenure ended later that year when a military coup dissolved democratic institutions and ended the Second Nigerian Republic.[3]
Later life
[edit]After leaving the Senate, Afegbua withdrew from national politics but remained respected in her community. She was occasionally mentioned in discussions about women’s political representation in Nigeria. Her 1983 victory continues to be referenced in studies of gender and political participation.[3][2]
Death
[edit]Afegbua died on 12 March 2023 at the age of 79. Her death was widely reported in Nigerian media, with tributes highlighting her role as a pioneer in Nigerian politics.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Gabriel, Emameh (12 July 2015). "The Okpella demand from Edo people - Vanguard News". Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Obaseki eulogises world's first black female senator". Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Keazor, Emeka (25 March 2015). "Five Nigerian electoral case studies 1923-1983". Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- ^ a b eribake, akintayo (11 July 2015). "The Okpella demand from Edo people". Vanguard News. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ^ "Nigeria's first female senator Franca Afegbua dies at 79". Qed.ng. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
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