The legacies of the late Wuraola Esan, first female member of the Nigerian National Assembly, as a nominated senator from Ibadan West; and her late daughter, Jadesola Akande, first female law professor in Nigeria, continue to shine brightly.
Recalling their remarkable achievements to serve as an inspiration to many a younger woman, the stories of the mother and daughter reveal how the former paved the way for the latter.
The woman, Wuraola Esan, was a teacher, school proprietor, politician and feminist who, during her lifetime, achieved an outstanding milestone as the first female member of the National Assembly from 1960 to 1965 and that marked a pivotal moment in the nation’s political history.
She became the first woman in pre-and-post-independence Nigeria to be actively involved in politics at the time.
Hailing from the ancient city of Ibadan, Esan entered the realm of partisan politics during the 1950s as a dedicated member of the Action Group (AG). Her journey into politics followed her noteworthy career as a school teacher and a tireless advocate for women’s education and empowerment.
In 1958, she achieved a significant milestone by securing a seat on the Ibadan Urban District Council through an election. Then later, her ascension into the senatorial position came by appointment because in the 1959 Constitution, membership in the Nigerian Senate was determined through appointment rather than by elections.
Born in 1909 in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, Esan’s parents were no less remarkable. Her dad was the late Chief Thomas Adeogun Ojo, the distinguished First World War veteran and forestry officer nicknamed Ojo’badan, the Ekerin of Ibadan who doubled as Chief Manager of Ibadan Forest Reserves; while her mother was fondly called Iya Gbogbo, ‘mother of all’ given her entrepreneurial prowess and grooming younger women.
Esan was well opportune to earn a solid educational foundation which prepared her for a career as a domestic science teacher at a mission school in Akure, Ondo State.
In 1938, she married Chief Victor O. Esan, a civil servant and lawyer. Their union was blessed with four children namely Chief Olubunmi Esan, a lawyer; Chief Yetunde Omisade, Mr. Toyin Ojo, and Prof. Jadesola Akande, who later became prominent in Nigeria’s educational sector.
In 1944, she founded the Ibadan People’s Girls Grammar School sited in Molete, where she exhibited her vision to provide younger women with comprehensive education, including domestic science and others.
Jadesola Akande
Esan’s daughter Jadesola Akande, decades after, riding on her mother’s track, went further to achieve feats of her own and became Nigeria’s first female Law Professor. And later still, became Nigeria’s first female Vice-Chancellor at the Lagos State University (LASU), Iyana Iba, Lagos.
Actually, her journey to excellence began in Ibadan, Oyo State, where she completed her primary and secondary school education at the school established by her mother, Ibadan People’s Girls Grammar School; and later, at St. Anne’s School.
Jadesola continued on a steady academic pursuit to obtain G.C.E. Advanced Level certificate after attending Barnstaple Girls Grammar School in Devon, England; and later studied law at the University College, London, where she graduated in 1963, all the while working as a staff candidate to attain Master’s Degree (LLM) in 1968.
Her commitment to the legal field led her to the Inner Temple, London, and later, the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, where she earned the prestigious title of Barrister.
Her career ride in Nigeria earned her the title of Administrative Officer in the West Regional Civil Service, and down the years, she became an integral member of the Constitutional Review Committee of 1987, and the Presidential Panel of National Security in 2000.
In 1989, Jadesola took on the new challenge when she was appointed as the second vice-chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), a role she held until 1993 sequel to her departure as a lecturer at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
In 2000, she assumed the position of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Council of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, which she held till 2004.
Mother-daughter achievers
Wuraola and Jadesola have passed away, but their stories still serve as a testament to the power of determination, resilience and pursuit of innate passions.
To them, enterprise and education was a cornerstone. For the younger woman, her academic journey continued with a postgraduate programme at the University of London where she obtained a PhD in Law in 1971.
Jadesola’s career in public service continued to peak as she worked with her becoming a research professor at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) and in 184, earned the esteemed title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Again, she later served as the head of NIALS in 1993.
As the two women crossed generational impacts, Jadesola received numerous accolades including the Federal Republic (OFR) award and a fellowship from the University College, London. Her role as former Vice-Chancellor at the University of Lagos plus her impact on women’s development in Nigeria further solidified her status as a distinguished jurist, an esteemed academician and a dedicated contributor to society.
Wuraola Esan and her daughter Jadesola Akande have passed away, but their stories still serve as a testament to the power of determination
Her pursuit of excellence was marked by dedication as she continued to excel over the next fourteen year and later established the Family Laws Center, a part of the Ford Foundation-funded Free Lagal Aid Center for under-served communities which she initiated in 1984.
While today’s generation may not be familiar with the significant contributions she made to constitutional reforms, human rights and the women rights movements in Nigeria, Prof Jadesola, as the Founder and Executive Director of Women Development Centre, Nigeria (WLDCN), 1993 to 2003, was also a trailblazer in the areas of university administration, extended her genius to the grassroots through her publication “Constitution Made Easy” and Gender Rights Advocacy Points.”
At the time Nigeria’s National Assembly was debating constitutional amendments, Jadesola was at the forefront, enlightening and advocating for gender equality.
She was the one who inspired many of today’s gender and social development activities as well as notable female legal luminaries.
Jadesola’s legacies extends to her work in training and mentoring female members of the National Assembly whilst she provided them essential knowledge in parliamentary proceedings, lobbying, constitutional matters, annual budgets, and poverty alleviation issues.
She collaborated with several female members via training sessions which took place in the Committee Rooms and were supported by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Jadesola, rising from a family that firmly believed that increasing female representation in parliament would significantly advance Nigeria’s socioeconomic development, lived her conviction. Her passion for gender equality and women’s rights still continue to inspire progress and change on diverse platforms across the nation.
