Nigeria’s political story is often framed around charismatic leaders, constitutional milestones, and party rivalries. Yet beneath these familiar narratives lies another story, one built through markets, women’s unions, community meetings, and emerging legislative chambers. Chief Janet Nwadiogo Mokelu and Chief Margaret Affiong Ekpo stand as two of the most influential women from this overlooked history.
A widely circulated photograph from the early 1960s, commonly dated to 1961, captures them together at a moment when Nigerian politics was transforming. It reflects a period when women were no longer limited to supportive roles, they were organising, speaking, voting, and occupying political space in ways that would influence generations to come.
A turning point for women in Nigerian public life
The final years of colonial rule and the early independence period were marked by political mobilisation across Nigeria. In the Eastern Region especially, women were central to this energy. They raised funds for political movements, mobilised voters, and challenged policies that affected livelihoods, education, and social welfare.
Women’s political involvement did not emerge overnight. It developed through sustained organisation and leadership at the community level, eventually finding expression within formal political institutions. Mokelu and Ekpo represent these two intertwined paths, grassroots power and institutional participation.
READ MORE: Ancient & Pre-Colonial Nigeria
Chief Janet Nwadiogo Mokelu, community strength and political influence
Chief Janet Nwadiogo Mokelu, born on February 7, 1910, with roots in Asaba in present day Delta State, became known for her leadership in education, women’s organising, and public service. Her political influence grew from community based structures that many underestimated but could not ignore.
Women’s associations, traders’ networks, and civic groups formed the backbone of political mobilisation during this era. Mokelu worked within these spaces, encouraging women to participate in political discussions, support collective causes, and view civic engagement as part of everyday life rather than a distant elite activity.
Education featured prominently in her public work. Literacy and schooling were tools for empowerment, enabling women to understand policies, advocate for their rights, and participate more effectively in political processes. Through education advocacy and women’s leadership development, Mokelu helped create a more informed and confident base of female political actors.
Her influence extended beyond community mobilisation. Mokelu served within the Eastern Region’s formal political environment, including an appointment as an Extraordinary Member of the Eastern House of Chiefs beginning in 1959. Her presence in such institutions symbolised a shift in expectations about who could participate in public decision making.
Mokelu’s life spanned colonial rule, independence, and later state politics. She died on March 31, 2003, leaving behind a legacy that demonstrates how community rooted leadership can translate into lasting political impact.
Chief Margaret Affiong Ekpo, from organising to elected leadership
Chief Margaret Affiong Ekpo was born on July 27, 1914, in Creek Town near Calabar. She became one of Nigeria’s most recognisable women political leaders, respected for her organisational skill, persuasive advocacy, and dedication to women’s advancement.
Ekpo’s political journey began through women’s associations and market networks, where economic issues intersected with political rights. These groups provided a platform for collective action, enabling women to challenge unfair practices and demand a voice in governance.
Her leadership extended into formal political structures. Ekpo served as an Extraordinary Member of the Eastern Region House of Chiefs from 1959 to 1961. In 1961, she achieved a major milestone by winning election to the Eastern Region House of Assembly, at a time when women legislators were extremely rare.
Inside the Assembly, Ekpo represented the interests of women and communities who had long been excluded from formal decision making. Her presence helped normalise women’s participation in legislative debate and demonstrated that leadership was not defined by gender.
Ekpo’s influence remained visible long after her legislative service. Public recognition of her contributions includes major institutions bearing her name, and she remains a symbol of women’s political possibility. She died in 2006, remembered as a pioneer whose work reshaped expectations.
What the early 1960s image truly signifies
The photograph of Mokelu and Ekpo from the early 1960s represents more than a historical moment. It captures a shift in political culture. It reflects the point at which women’s organising power and institutional presence became visible in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Mokelu represents the strength of community mobilisation, education, and sustained civic leadership. Ekpo represents the transition from organising to elected authority. Together, they illustrate how political change moves from grassroots networks into formal structures.
Their shared image reminds us that independence was not shaped solely by prominent male figures. Women were actively involved in building political movements, influencing policy debates, and redefining public leadership.
EXPLORE NOW: Military Era & Coups in Nigeria
Why their story still matters today
Contemporary discussions about women in Nigerian politics often focus on recent developments, yet the foundations were laid decades earlier. Mokelu and Ekpo faced challenges that continue to resonate, limited access, structural barriers, and social resistance.
Their stories offer valuable lessons. Political change is not only about winning office. It is about building networks, educating communities, mentoring future leaders, and sustaining participation even when recognition is slow to arrive.
By remembering Mokelu and Ekpo, readers gain a fuller understanding of Nigeria’s political history, one that acknowledges the women who organised, governed, and insisted on inclusion long before it became widely accepted.
Author’s Note
The enduring lesson from Janet Mokelu and Margaret Ekpo is that political power grows from everyday courage, organising, and persistence. Their lives show that when women claim space in their communities and carry those voices into institutions, they reshape history quietly but permanently.
References
National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, parliamentary holdings and official reports for Eastern Region legislative institutions, including House of Chiefs records.
United Nations documentation on women’s participation in Nigerian politics, with focus on early regional representation.
Scholarly and institutional biographical profiles of Chief Janet Nwadiogo Mokelu and Chief Margaret Affiong Ekpo from recognised Nigerian heritage archives and university repositories
Toyin Falola, The History of Nigeria, Greenwood Press.
