“It is important to remember who we were, as we celebrate who we are and strive to become who we want to be.”
Much like our INDEPENDENCE collection, which was a look-back at our past, an appreciation of our present, and a great anticipation of our future, the phenomenal women we celebrate today, come in all shades of splendour with trailblazing scars and stories for years. These are the shoulders we stand upon, the shoulders we share, and the shoulders we are forming.
Nigeria marked total independence from Britain when it became a federal republic by adopting a new constitution on October 1st, 1963 with Nnamdi Azikiwe as its first president.
Leading to this time, the Aba Women’s riot was the hallmark of the feminist struggle in Nigeria, their goal was for the colonial masters to put an end to unreasonable taxation and for the warrant chief system to be replaced with clan heads who were appointed by the citizens of Igbo land.
These were the influences for the likes of Margaret Ekpo but by the middle of the 20th century, the call for independence sweeping across Africa, and the decline of the territories in the British Empire led to Nigeria being granted independence on October 1st 1960.
These Nigerian women come in all proud shades and ages, as we look at them, we remember who we were, who we are, and who we want to be.