Dora Maude Akanya and Mary Jummai Jarma, known across Northern Nigeria as the Miller twins, were born in Zaria on 8 November 1933. Their formative years were linked to both Zaria and Lokoja, communities that shaped their early outlook and education.
They studied at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology in Zaria, one of the most prominent higher institutions serving Northern Nigeria in the late colonial and early post independence period. At a time when relatively few women from the region advanced into higher education, their academic progression placed them among an emerging generation of professionally trained Northern Nigerian women.
Entering the Teaching Profession
Both sisters began their careers as teachers. Their early professional lives unfolded during a period when Northern Nigeria was expanding formal schooling, particularly for girls. Teacher training and the establishment of structured secondary schools were central to that expansion.
Their years in the classroom grounded them in institutional discipline and school administration. Teaching was not merely employment, it was a foundational pathway into leadership within the region’s education system. The experience they gained in classroom instruction and school management prepared them for broader responsibilities that would follow.
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Mary Jummai Jarma and Institutional Development
Mary Jummai Jarma became a central figure in girls’ education in Kaduna. She is recognised as a founding principal of the Women Teachers’ College in Kaduna, an institution established to train female teachers for the growing network of girls’ schools in Northern Nigeria.
She later served as founding principal of Queen Amina College in Kaduna. The school went on to become one of the most recognised girls’ secondary institutions in the region. Under her leadership, the college developed a structured academic culture and produced graduates who advanced into professional careers across Nigeria.
Beyond school leadership, Jarma also served in senior education administration roles linked to state level education structures. Her career reflected the movement of experienced educators into broader oversight positions within ministries and educational directorates, contributing to staffing, supervision, and policy implementation.
Dora Maude Akanya and State Governance
Dora Maude Akanya’s career extended from education into executive government service. Following Nigeria’s reorganisation into twelve states in 1967, she served as a commissioner in North Central State.
Her portfolio included Health and Social Welfare, sectors central to public wellbeing. These responsibilities covered hospital administration, maternal and child health services, and social support systems during a formative period in state governance.
Her appointment placed her among the pioneering female commissioners in Northern Nigeria, at a time when senior executive roles were largely occupied by men. She carried significant administrative responsibility in one of the state’s most socially impactful ministries.
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National Honour and Public Recognition
In 2008, Dora Maude Akanya and Mary Jummai Jarma were conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR. The award recognised their long standing contributions to education and public service.
Their careers spanned decades of institutional growth in Northern Nigeria, linking classroom leadership, teacher training, girls’ secondary education, and state level governance.
Enduring Impact
The story of the Miller twins reflects the steady expansion of women’s participation in education and government in Northern Nigeria. Through school leadership, teacher training, and executive service, they contributed to the structures that continue to shape the region’s educational and public institutions today.
Author’s Note
Dora Maude Akanya and Mary Jummai Jarma represent a generation of Northern Nigerian women who built institutions quietly and consistently. Their legacy lives in the classrooms they strengthened, the teachers they trained, and the example they set for women entering public service.
References
Archivi.ng, The Archivist series, “The Miller Twins taught, led, and transformed lives.”
Leadership Newspaper, report on Dora Maude Akanya’s role as a pioneering female commissioner in Northern Nigeria.
The Guardian Nigeria, tributes and public reports on Dora Miller Akanya’s life and service.
Kaduna State Government public statement and tribute on Dora Miller Akanya.
TheCable and Premium Times reports on the twins’ educational leadership.
Daily Trust interview coverage on the twins’ life and careers.
