A Chevening Fellow at the University College, London, Professor Rugayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i had her higher education at Bayero University, Kano and West Virginia University, USA. She holds the Bachelor’s in Education/History, Master’s in History and Ph.D. in History. Her specialties are:
Curriculum & Instruction, History, Social Studies and Girl-Child Education.
The First Female Professor from North-West Nigeria, our Celebrant had held quite a number of strategic public offices at the Federal and State levels. Among others, she served as Jigawa State Commissioner for Health and ater Commissioner for Education, Science & Technology. Both tenures witnessed tremendous progress in the two strategic sectors.
Appointed Minister of Education of Nigeria in 2010, she had an eventful three-year tenure during which she was elected Chairperson, Conference of Education Ministers of the African Union [COMEDAF]. She initiated the One-Year Strategy and 4-Year Strategic Plan for the Development of the Education Sector which focused on key areas of Access, Quality, Teacher Education, Funding, Technical and Vocation Education. There were also boosts to Basic and Secondary Sector through the Almajiri Education and Boys Drop-Out Programmes. She similarly pursued the amendment of the Education Tax Act such that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund [TETFund] now focuses exclusively on the development and rehabilitation of infrastructure and human resources in the country’s higher education sub-sector.
As far back to her days as Education Commissioner in Jigawa State, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’ has demonstrated deep passion for the education of the Girl-Child and often challenged the outdated notion that female children did not need to go to school as they will end up in the kitchen, as it were. That, of course, hardly endeared her to certain entrenched interests that tried to frustrate her efforts to provide access to girls to obtain a good education. In a media interview, she had bared her mind unequivocally: “‘I’m ashamed
Jigawa can’t enroll enough girls in schools”.
Over the years, she has been dedicated to the cause of promoting access for the young girls and women to get a good education to improve their chances in life and make contributions to their full potentials.
A woman of strong convictions – despite being relieved of her Ministerial appointment due to cracks in the then ruling political party — she returned quietly to her beloved classroom at Bayero University, Kano where she has been a Professor of Curriculum Studies since 2003. In her words, “..that is where I came from on secondment. We should know that a time like this would come because if it does not, death is surelv an end””
In the same vein, Professor Rugayyatu has been in the vanguard of the Kidney Care and Transplant Foundation Trust; vigorously mobilising support locally and internationally.
With over 30 publications in national and international journals and books, Professor Rugayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i has been severally acknowledged within and outside Nigeria. The honours include: Officer of the Order of the Niger [OON), 2006], Chevening Fellow at the University College, London, Dubai Global Excellence Award, Commendation by Howard University, Washington
D.C., and Presentation with the Key to the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
She is happily married with children.
Ladies & Gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that we invite Professor Rugayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i to receive the Hallmarks of Labour Role Model Award for Consistent Advocacy on the Education of the Girl-Child.
Hearty Congratulations, Madam!