Episode #11
Maryam Babangida's Story: Glamour and Power of the First Lady
Maryam Babangida changed what it means to be Nigeria’s First Lady. She exercised power as if she was the joint president with her husband, and government ministers feared and bowed to her. Maryam and her husband were the first power couple of modern Nigerian politics. They were like the Barack and Michelle Obama of their era. Maryam's elegant, glamorous, and imperial appearance made her a celebrity. She was the first president's wife to constantly appear on magazine and newspaper front pages. She did not look out of place when she met the equally fashionable and glamorous Princess Diana. Listen to this episode to learn more about the most famous and powerful First Lady in Nigeria's history: a woman who was so powerful that a minister claimed that she and her husband were a “joint imperial presidency”.
