Hajaratu Gambo Sawaba (15 February 1933 – 14 October 2001) was a Nigerian political activist, feminist, and campaigner for the rights of women and children in Northern Nigeria. She is most widely remembered for her fearless opposition to colonial and post-colonial patriarchal structures, her leadership in the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), and her record of enduring sixteen imprisonments while advocating for social justice and women’s political participation.
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Early life and education
Gambo Sawaba was born on 15 February 1933 in what is now Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria, to Isa Amartey, a Ghanaian immigrant, and Fatima Amarteifio, a Nupe woman. She was orphaned early in life, losing her father in 1943 and her mother in 1946. Her formal education at Native Authority Primary School, Tudun Wada, Zaria, was truncated as a result. At age 13, she was married to a World War II veteran, a marriage that ended in separation.
Her experiences of early marriage, curtailed schooling, and life under restrictive social norms shaped her lifelong commitment to activism, particularly for women in Northern Nigeria, where the indirect rule colonial system, emirate structures, and the dominant Northern People’s Congress (NPC) limited female participation in public life.
Political activism and leadership
At 17, Gambo Sawaba joined the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), a political party that challenged the conservative NPC and advocated for social and economic reforms. She quickly rose to become leader of NEPU’s women’s wing in Zaria, mobilising women and encouraging political consciousness. It was during this period that the party leader, Aminu Kano, gave her the nickname “Sawaba,” a Hausa term meaning “freedom” or “redemption.”
Her activism focused on combating systemic injustices affecting women: child marriage, unfair taxation, unpaid or forced labour, educational exclusion, and the restrictive seclusion system (purdah). In 1952, her efforts to mobilise women observing purdah led to her arrest by the Native Authority in Kano. She was sentenced to three months in prison, marking the beginning of a lifetime of repeated incarcerations for political activism.
Imprisonments and advocacy
Over her lifetime, Gambo Sawaba was imprisoned sixteen times, a record for any female politician in Nigeria. During incarceration, she endured harsh and degrading treatment, including flogging and the shaving of her hair. Despite these hardships, she continued to advocate for women’s political and educational rights.
Sawaba extended her activism beyond Northern Nigeria, visiting southern activists such as Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti in Abeokuta to exchange strategies and ideas for women’s empowerment. Later in her career, she joined the Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP), reportedly serving as deputy national chairman, though the exact dates and duration of her tenure remain uncertain in verified records.
Later life and death
Gambo Sawaba remained active in public life until her passing on 14 October 2001 at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria. Her leadership and courage inspired generations of northern Nigerian women to seek education, political engagement, and social justice.
Legacy and honours
Her legacy is enshrined in both institutional recognition and feminist scholarship. The Gambo Sawaba General Hospital in Zaria commemorates her name, and her approach to mobilising marginalised women has become a reference point for studies of women’s political activism in Nigeria. Historians and gender scholars credit her as foundational in creating space for women’s voices in public and political spheres in Northern Nigeria.
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Author’s note
This account draws solely from verified historical and biographical sources, including TheCable, Al Jazeera, and Tribune Online, and omits unverified claims such as precise first-husband details, the “Sawaba doctrine” as a formal policy, or inaccurately dated voting rights. Gambo Sawaba’s life exemplifies determined activism under extreme adversity and provides enduring inspiration for gender equality and political participation in Nigeria.
References
“Women’s History Month: How Gambo Sawaba was imprisoned 16 times fighting for women’s rights in northern Nigeria,” TheCable, 15 March 2025.
“Hajiya Gambo Sawaba: ‘The most jailed Nigerian female politician’,” Al Jazeera, 15 Feb 2021.
“National unity: Contributions of Margaret Ekpo, Gambo Sawaba,” Tribune Online.
