Former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.) has revealed his plan to establish a scholarship programme at all levels of the Nigerian school system in memory of his late wife, Maryam Babangida.
Babangida made the disclosure at the weekend in his address at the Inaugural Annual Memorial Lecture in honour of the former first lady, who died from ovarian cancer on December 27, 2009 in California, USA.
Babangida, represented by Chief Emmanuel Eboh, poured encomiums on late Maryam, who he described as a faithful wife, role model and supportive partner dedicated to the emancipation of Nigerian women.
He said that late Maryam worked with passion and commitment towards alleviating the poor living condition of Nigerian families, through her pet project, the ‘Better Life for Rural Women’, which she initiated to empower the women.
“The late Maryam Babangida, whom we are honouring today is a great woman of value. She is a supportive wife, a caring mother and a role model who brought out the true colour of the Nigerian woman.
“She is a woman of colours in every aspect of her life. It is in view of her contribution to the emancipation of the Nigerian woman, that as a family, we want this annual event to embody scholarship awards.
“The scholarship award programme will be part of our contribution to the preservation of the memory of this great Nigerian woman. The scholarship will cut across all levels of the Nigerian school system,” Babangida said.