Nigeria’s First Female Senator, Franca Afegbua Dies At 79

Nigeria’s first female senator, Franca Afegbua is dead.

A statement issued on Sunday by the Afegbua family said Franca Afegbua died at the age of 79.

She was a native of Okpella, a town in Etsako-east LGA of old Bendel state (now split into Edo and Delta states).

“The Afegbua family of Edo state has confirmed the demise of the first woman senator in Nigeria, Senator Franca Afegbua, whose sad event occurred this morning, Sunday, March 12, 2023. She combined beauty and brain during her service to Nigeria. Funeral details will be announced by the family soon,” the family said.

According to reports, Franca Afegbua was elected the senator representing Bendel-north in October 1983 under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in Nigeria’s second republic.

Her political journey was, however, cut short as the military coup of December 1983 toppled the civilian government less than three months after she assumed office.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the just conducted presidential election, Peter Obi has congratulated Nigerian-born professor of History, Professor Saheed Aderinto of the Florida International University, who recently won the $300,000 Dan David Prize—the largest history prize in the world.