Hilda Adefarasin (9 January 1925 – 5 February 2023) was a Nigerian women's rights activist who was the president of the

National Council of Women's Societies National Council of Women's Societies, also known by its acronym NCWS, is a Nigerian non-governmental and non-partisan women's organization composed of a network of independent women organizations in Nigeria binding together to use NCWS' platform ...

(NCWS). She left her nursing profession in 1969 to concentrate on professional activities of the NCWS. In 1971, she was the council's treasurer and in 1987, she became the president.

Early life

Hilda Adefarasin was born in Lagos to the family of Wilford and Ethel Petgrave in 1925. Her father, who was born in Jamaica, worked with the Nigerian Railway in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

and her mother (née Ambleston) was born in Antigua. Adefarasin attended CMS Girls' School Lagos. She also attended

Achimota College Achimota School ( /ɑːtʃimoʊtɑː/ ), formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown, is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana. The schoo ...

, Ghana. In 1945, she became pupil-midwife with Massey Street Hospital but in 1948, she traveled to England, where she qualified as a registered nurse in 1951. In 1960, she was a founding member and secretary of the Professional Association of Trained Nurses of Nigeria and soon joined the National Council of Women's Societies as a representative of nurses. In 1971, she became the council's treasurer, holding that position until 1980. In 1984, Adefarasin succeeded Justice Nzeako as president of NCWS. Her selection continued a string of educated elite women presidents of NCWS. Adefarasin felt the forum was an association of varied women with diverse professional interests who create awareness for women's recognition in national life and nation building. The NCWS during her tenure promoted an Expanded Programme on Immunization and operational theatres for young girls with vesico vaginal fistula. Adefarasin was one out of two women who were nominated by president

Ibrahim Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born 17 August, 1941) is a retired Nigerian Army general and politician. He served as military president of Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He rose through the ranks to serve from 1984 to 1985 as Ch ...

as members of the 1986

Political Bureau A politburo () or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states. Names The term "politburo" in English comes from the Russian ''Politbyuro'' (), itself a contraction ...

Personal life and death

Adefarasin was married to Hon. Justice Joseph Adetunji Adefarasin. She is the mother of Wale Adefarasin, Adebola Adefarasin, Yinka Ogundipe, Michael Adeyemi Adefarasin and

Paul Adefarasin Paul Adeolu Adefarasin (born 25 January 1963) is a Nigerian pastor and televangelist. He is the Prelate and Metropolitan Senior Pastor of the House on the Rock church headquartered in Lagos (Nigeria) with branches in several cities across Nigeri ...

. She celebrated her ninetieth birthday on 1 November 2015. Adefarasin died on 5 February 2023, at the age of 98.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adefarasin, Hilda 1925 births 2023 deaths Nigerian women activists Nigerian nurses People from Lagos Nigerian people of Jamaican descent Alumni of Achimota School

Hilda Hilda is one of several female given names derived from the name ''Hild'', formed from Old Norse , meaning 'battle'. Hild, a Nordic-German Bellona, was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla. Warfare was often called Hild's Game. Th ...

Nigerian women in politics 20th-century Nigerian women 21st-century Nigerian women St Anne's School, Ibadan alumni