Flora Azikiwe
First Lady of Nigeria
In role
1 October 1963 – 16 January 1966
PresidentNnamdi Azikiwe
Preceded byposition established
Succeeded byVictoria Aguiyi-Ironsi
Personal details
Born
Flora Ogbenyeanu Ogoegbunam

(1917-08-07)7 August 1917
Onitsha, Southern Region, British Nigeria
Died22 August 1983(1983-08-22) (aged 66)
Spouse
​
(m. 1936)​
ChildrenChukwuma Azikiwe, Chukwuemeka Azikiwe, Nwachukwu Azikiwe, Ngozi Azikiwe

Flora Ogbenyeanu Ogoegbunam Azikiwe (7 August 1917 – 22 August 1983) was the first wife of Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President of Nigeria. She served as the first First Lady of Nigeria from 1 October 1963 to 16 January 1966.[1][2][3]

Flora Ogbenyeanu Ogoegbunam was born in Onitsha, a city in present-day Anambra State to Chief Ogoegbunam, the Adazia of Onitsha (Ndichie Chief) from Ogboli Agbor Onitsha. She met Nnamdi Azikiwe there in 1934, and the two were married on 4 April 1936. Their wedding was held at Wesley Church James Town, Accra, Gold Coast (present-day Ghana) where her husband was working as the editor of African Morning Post at the time.[4][5]

Azikiwe was a member of the Eastern Working Committee of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). She was the first Patron of the Home Science Association (HSA), formerly known as Federal Home Science Association.[6]

On 22 August 1983, Azikiwe died at the age of 66.[7] She and her husband had one daughter and three sons.

References

  1. ^ Sadoh, Godwin (2012). Joy Nwosu Lo-Bamijoko : the saga of a Nigerian female ethnomusicologist. Bloomington: iUniverse. p. 5. ISBN 978-1469785875.
  2. ^ Sabella Abidde (27 February 2013). "Patience Jonathan: A different type of First Lady". The Punch. Retrieved 17 September 2015.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Michael Odigbe (27 October 2014). "First Ladies Of Nigeria". Nigerian Observer. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Onitsha Market Literature" (PDF). onitsha.diglib.ku.edu. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Of Flora, Victoria and Mariam". Vanguard News. 2017-10-07. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  6. ^ "Flora Azikiwe: Nigeria' maiden First Lady at a glance". People's Daily. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  7. ^ The African Guardian (1990). pg. 37
Honorary titles Preceded byposition established First Lady of Nigeria 1 October 1963 – 16 January 1966 Succeeded byVictoria Aguiyi-Ironsi
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