Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman
Encyclopedia
Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman is a Nigeria
n lawyer who was appointed Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development in December 2008.
She left office in March 2010 when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan
dissolved his cabinet.
, a fishing community in Kebbi State
, Her father was an area court judge, and her mother came from the Gwandu
royal family.
She was brought up in Birnin Kebbi
and Argungu
. In 1972 she obtained entry to Queens College, Lagos
. She went on the Ahmadu Bello University
, Zaria
where she obtained a degree in law. She then went to the London School of Economics and Political Science where she gained a master's degree in law.
Her first job as a lawyer was with the Ministry of Justice in the old Sokoto State
. She then worked at Continental Merchant Bank, Lagos for seven years, and worked for a short time at NAL Merchant Bank before moving to Aluminum Smelter Company, where she was company secretary/legal adviser. After that, she worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission before being appointed Minister.
In September 2009 Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman decried marginalization of women in Nigerian politics.
She said that violence and male chauvinism were prevalent in the political climate, and coupled with lack of money few women were able to contest for public office.
At meetings in October 2009 organized by UNICEF and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman said her mission was to serve as the national vehicle for speedy and healthy development of Nigerian women, and to ensure the protection and development of women and children for meaningful life. She urged the state to give women at least 30% representation in elective and appointive positions.
In December 2009 she decried the failure of the government to ratify the United Nations
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW).
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n lawyer who was appointed Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development in December 2008.
She left office in March 2010 when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the...
dissolved his cabinet.
Background
Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman was born in ArgunguArgungu
Argungu is a city in Nigeria's Kebbi State, situated on the Sokoto River. As of 2007 Argungu had an estimated population of 47,064.The city is the seat of the Argungu Emirate, a traditional state....
, a fishing community in Kebbi State
Kebbi State
Kebbi State is a state in north-western Nigeria with its capital at Birnin Kebbi. The state was formed from part of Sokoto State in 1991. Kebbi State is bordered by Sokoto State, Niger State, Dosso Region in the Republic of Niger and the nation of Benin. It has a total area of...
, Her father was an area court judge, and her mother came from the Gwandu
Gwandu
Gwandu, also called Gando, is a town and emirate in Kebbi State, Nigeria. The seat of government for the emirate and district of this name is in Birnin Kebbi, which is the capital of Kebbi State and was capital of the historical Kingdom of Kebbi...
royal family.
She was brought up in Birnin Kebbi
Birnin Kebbi
Birnin Kebbi is a city located in northwestern Nigeria. It is the capital city of Kebbi State and headquarters of the Gwandu Emirate. As of 2007 the city has an estimated population of 115,547....
and Argungu
Argungu
Argungu is a city in Nigeria's Kebbi State, situated on the Sokoto River. As of 2007 Argungu had an estimated population of 47,064.The city is the seat of the Argungu Emirate, a traditional state....
. In 1972 she obtained entry to Queens College, Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. She went on the Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University is the largest university in Nigeria and second largest in Africa, second only to Cairo University, Egypt. It is situated in Zaria. It was founded on October 4, 1962 as the University of Northern Nigeria....
, Zaria
Zaria
Zaria may refer to:*Zaria, a city in Kaduna State, Nigeria*Zaria , or Zoria, the Slavic goddess of beauty*Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg, a member of the Dutch royal family...
where she obtained a degree in law. She then went to the London School of Economics and Political Science where she gained a master's degree in law.
Her first job as a lawyer was with the Ministry of Justice in the old Sokoto State
Sokoto State
Sokoto State is located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2005 it has an estimated population of more than 4.2 million...
. She then worked at Continental Merchant Bank, Lagos for seven years, and worked for a short time at NAL Merchant Bank before moving to Aluminum Smelter Company, where she was company secretary/legal adviser. After that, she worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission before being appointed Minister.
Minister for Women Affairs
President Umaru Yar'Adua appointed Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman as Minister for Women Affairs on 17 December 2008.In September 2009 Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman decried marginalization of women in Nigerian politics.
She said that violence and male chauvinism were prevalent in the political climate, and coupled with lack of money few women were able to contest for public office.
At meetings in October 2009 organized by UNICEF and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman said her mission was to serve as the national vehicle for speedy and healthy development of Nigerian women, and to ensure the protection and development of women and children for meaningful life. She urged the state to give women at least 30% representation in elective and appointive positions.
In December 2009 she decried the failure of the government to ratify the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women is an international convention adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly....
(CEDAW).