Even in Death … Maryam Babangida Gets Another Honour

Life is a trail of choices, each with its implications. The decisions of Nigeria’s prime First Lady, the late Maryam Babangida have earned her salutations many years after her death. The most recent of these salutations is an honorary degree, one that recognises the late wife of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) for her courage and devotion to the welfare of other people.

It is a happy time for the Babangidas as the nation celebrates the peerless contributions of the late matriarch of the household, Madam Maryam. Even though her daughter, Aisha, carries the torch of her legacy now, people all over Africa still recall all the undertakings and attainments of the First Lady before she passed on. Baze University decided to do something about this and carved out an honorary degree in honour of the late advocate of women’s rights.

Baze University honoured Madam Maryam alongside another deceased Nigerian, Justice Mohammed Bello. According to the institution, both of them deserve the respective Honorary Doctor of Science degrees and Honorary Doctor of Letters degrees considering their contributions. It was all part of the institution’s convocation ceremony for 2023, motivating other Nigerians to look forward to such posthumous recognitions.

Indeed, Baze University’s decision is already motivating many to imitate the works of Madam Maryam, starting with her daughter, Aisha. According to the latter, her mother’s investment of time, energy, and resourcefulness was not to earn recognition but to alleviate problems to the best of her ability. Thus, she will go on emulating her, using her time, energy, and resourcefulness to better all lives within her reach.

As Aisha noted in a Ghanaian quote, one should not abandon the legacy of elders to make one’s own when the former is more credible and impactful. This is a lesson for all who wish to make an impact, reaching similar heights as the late First Lady.