Big Brother Naija girls celebrate Nigerian heroines

AS thousands of Nigerians took to social media to celebrate successful and iconic women of Nigerian origin these past weeks, at least five former BBNaija housemates joined the trend, pouring encomiums on their own female heroes and encouraging their followers to do same.

Bisola Aiyeola, who first kicked it off, with a post that has now garnered over 1,500 likes and comments, said in her post, “Just tell us who your Naija woman hero is, by posting a picture of her using the #naijawomanhero tag and stand a chance of having your business registered FREE!!!”

Over five of her colleagues have since followed, using their influence to call attention to some of the most important Nigerian women of all times. Millions are now voicing out deserving heroes, including Stella Adadevoh, Dora Akunyili, Funmilayo Kuti, and Margaret Ekpo, many of whom gave their all to make Nigerian lives better. Adadevoh, in fact, gave her life, during the Ebola crisis, in a remarkable act of courage that remains unprecedented.

Akunyili, a pharmacist and former director general of NAFDAC, fought drugs counterfeiting to a standstill, risking her life and that of her family as she uprooted cabals and mafia that had profited at the expense of vulnerable Nigerians for eons.

According to the UN 2018 Humanitarian Needs Overview for Nigeria, 10.2 million people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance, of which 52 per cent are women and girls. Another report also stated that of the estimated 1600 to 2000 casualties in the Northeast, the majority were women and children.