Isatou Njie-Saidy (also spelt Aisatu N'Jie-Saidy) (born 5 March 1952) is a
Gambian politician. She was
Vice President of the Gambia
The vice president of the Republic of The Gambia is the second highest political position in the Gambia. The office was created in April 1970, with the passing of the republican Constitution of the Gambia following the republic referendum. The ...
, as well as
Secretary of State for Women's Affairs, from 20 March 1997 to 18 January 2017. She is the first Gambian woman to have held the position of Vice President and one of the first women in West African politics to reach this senior position.
Early life and education
Njie-Saidy was born in
Kuntaya,march 15th,1952
North Bank Division
North Bank was one of the five administrative divisions of the Gambia. Its capital was Kerewan. It was subsequently reorganised as the Kerewan Local Government Area (LGA), without any change in the area covered.
Per 2013 census, the region had ...
. From 1959 to 1964, she attended Brikama Primary School, and from 1964 and 1970, she attended Armitage High School, Georgetown. In 1971, she attended Yundum Teacher Training College, where she qualified as a teacher in 1974. From July 1979 to December 1979, she studied at the Research Institute for Management Science,
Delft University of Technology
Delft University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Delft), also known as TU Delft, is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. As of 2022 it is ranked by QS World University Rankings among ...
, The
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, where she was awarded a post-graduate diploma in industrial management. From September to November 1981, she studied at the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...
, where she obtained a certificate in small-scale industrial information management. In September 1988, she completed an MSc in social and economic development at the
University of Swansea
, former_names=University College of Swansea, University of Wales Swansea
, motto= cy, Gweddw crefft heb ei dawn
, mottoeng="Technical skill is bereft without culture"
, established=1920 – University College of Swansea 1996 – University of Wa ...
.
Political career
From September 1983 to December 1989, Njie-Saidy was Deputy Executive Secretary of the Women's Bureau, the executive decision-making body of the National Women's Council. Two years after the
1994 Gambian coup d'état
In the 1994 Gambian coup d'état, a group of soldiers led by 29-year-old Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh seized power in a bloodless coup d'état on the morning of 22 July, ousting Dawda Jawara, who had been President of the Gambia since its independence ...
in which
Yahya Jammeh
Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh (born 25 May 1965) is a Gambian politician and former military officer who was the leader of The Gambia from 1994 to 2017, firstly as chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 199 ...
seized power, in July 1996 Njie-Saidy was appointed as
Minister of Health, Social Welfare and Women's Affairs. On 20 March 1997, a few months after the 1996 presidential election in which Jammeh was victorious, Njie-Saidy was appointed as
Vice-President of the Gambia
The vice president of the Republic of The Gambia is the second highest political position in the Gambia. The office was created in April 1970, with the passing of the republican Constitution of the Gambia following the republic referendum. The ...
and Secretary of State for Health, Social Welfare and Women's Affairs.
She has spoken and written extensively about women's issues in the Gambia.
In December 2015, there were reports that Njie-Saidy's relationship with Jammeh was becoming strained. According to ''Freedom Newspaper'', a close aide of Jammeh reported that "Jammeh has intimated to them that he doesn’t want to see Isatou Njie Saidy. He branded Isatou as a “bad person” who contributed towards his government's failure. Jammeh told his aides that he is going to replace Isatou Njie Saidy."
On 18 January 2017, Njie-Saidy resigned in the midst of the
2016–17 constitutional crisis, along with several other government ministers.
Personal life
Njie-Saidy is married and has four children. She speaks several languages, namely: Mandinka, Fulani, Wolof, English and French.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Njie Saidy, Isatou
1952 births
Living people
Vice-presidents of the Gambia
Government ministers of the Gambia
Serer politicians
Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction politicians
Gambian Muslims
People from North Bank Division
20th-century Gambian women politicians
21st-century Gambian women politicians
21st-century Gambian politicians
Women government ministers of the Gambia
Women vice presidents
Gambian radio presenters
Gambian women radio presenters