Safinatu Buhari (née Yusuf) (11 December 1952 – 14 January 2006) was a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

teacher and

First Lady of Nigeria The first lady of Nigeria is an informal, but accepted title, held by the wife of the president of Nigeria. The current First Lady, first lady is Oluremi Tinubu who has held the title since 29 May 2023. The Constitution of Nigeria does not creat ...

from 1983 to 1985. She was the first wife of

Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015. Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 Au ...

Early life and education

Safinatu Yusuf was born on 11 December 1952 to Alhaji Yusufu Mani and Hajia Hadizatu Mani in Jos,

Plateau State Plateau State is the twelfth-largest Nigerian state. It is in the centre of the country includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau, its capital, and the entire plateau itself. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and To ...

. She was of the Fulani tribe of Northern Nigeria and hailed from Mani Local Government in

Katsina State Katsina State ''(Hausa: Jihar Katsina) (Fula: Leydi Katsina 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞥁𞤭𞤲𞤢)'' is a state in the northwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Katsina State was created in 1987, when it split from Kaduna State. Today, K ...

. She attended Tudun Wada primary school. Her family relocated to Lagos State when the then commissioner for Lagos affairs, Musa Yar'Adua appointed her father as his private secretary. She enrolled at the Women Teacher's Training College in Katsina and received a Grade 2 Teachers Certificate in 1971. She was versed in Islamic education and was lettered in both English and Arabic.

Personal life

She met Muhammadu Buhari at the age of 14 and they married in 1971 when she was 18. They had 5 children namely; Zulaihatu (deceased), Magajiya-Fatima, Hadizatu-Nana, Safinatu Lami and Musa (deceased). When Muhammadu Buhari's government was overthrown by

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 ...

, she relocated to Kaduna with her children. Her style was both traditional and minimal. It portrayed her ethnic origin. They divorced in 1988.

First Lady of Nigeria

Buhari was the seventh First Lady of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985. She was largely unknown by Nigerians as she did not have her own office or personal staff in

Dodan Barracks Dodan Barracks is a military barracks located in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. The barrack was the Supreme Military Headquarters during the Nigerian Civil War and from 1966 to 1979 and 1983 to 1985. Dodan Barracks was the official residence of the mili ...

. She stayed out of the public eye but took up responsibility hosting visiting First Ladies.

Death

Buhari died 14 January 2006 as a result of

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

-related complications at the age of 53.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buhari, Safinatu Nigerian educators 2006 deaths 1952 births First Ladies of Nigeria Deaths from diabetes