Who Was Franca Afegbua? First Woman Senator Of Nigeria Passes Away At 81

Franca Afegbua, the first and the only elected woman senator of Nigeria has been confirmed to have died at the age of 81 on March 12, Sunday in Benin City, Edo State. She passed away in a private hospital post battling an undisclosed disease over the last few months.

The news of her death was confirmed by her younger brother Kassim Afegbua, who is a journalist and also served at Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s administration in the state as the Commissioner For Information and is currently a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

Franca Afegbua, First Woman Senator Of Nigeria Dies

Kassim Afegbua claimed that his sister died on Sunday morning and her body was taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital mortuary (UBTH).

The statement regarding her death reads, “The Afegbua family of Edo State has confirmed the news about the demise of the first woman senator in Nigeria, Senator Franca Afegbua, whose sad event occurred this particular morning, on Sunday, March 12, 2023. She combined both beauty and brain during her service to Nigeria. Funeral details will be announced by her family very soon.”

Being a native of Okpella, a small town in the Etsako-east LGA region of old Bendel state which is now split into two parts Edo and Delta states, she was elected as the first female senator representing Bendel-north in October 1983 which was under the National Party of Nigeria in the second republic of Nigeria.

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Although her political journey wasn't long enough as the Buhari military coup on December 31st, 1983 overturned the civilian government less than three months after she assumed her office.

President Muhammadu Buhari has consoled the family as well as friends of Franca Afegbua, whose entry into the political leadership lifted the glass ceiling for all the women in the region during that period. As per the Nigerian leader Buhari, that historical feat totally altered both the position and perception of women. Her (Afegbua’s) state and the country, particularly with the protection of exemplary leadership skills of empathy as well as inclusiveness earned her a lot of respect and trust.

President Buhari even prayed that the supreme God would receive a great soul that departed while urging friends and family to approximate her good works for posterity.