Salute and applause for Nigeria’s top female diplomat, Ambassador Nkem Wadibia-Anyanwu at 75 years

1. Nigeria’s most ranking female career diplomat, Lady Nkemjinka (Nkem) Ulaku Wadibia-Anyanwu’s recent attainment of the age of 75 years is being celebrated at large as a symbol of the sustained national service of Nigeria’s womenfolk, particularly in the world of international affairs. Ordinarily, rising to be appointed and adorned with those ubiquitous epitaphs of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary is the apogee of the diplomatic service. However, for one such as Wadibia-Anyanwu, whom many simply call “Lady” from the Catholic knighthood which she was bestowed with, the journey of toil for fatherland went beyond to the ultimate attainment of the rank of a Federal Permanent Secretary. After 35 fruitful years in the global scene, not unexpectedly, toasts and accolades emblazoned from her protégés and international contacts from the most unexpected ends of the world. For many reasons, topmost being her commitment to nationhood, commitment to service, and commitment to the highest ideals of humanistic and Godly existence.

THE STARTPOINT OF THE “EYIMBA GIRL”

2. The journey started in the “Enyimba city” of Aba in Nigeria’s Abia State where Lady Wadibia-Anyanwu was born on March 31, 1948 in Aba, into the staple of the patriarch, Pa Frederick Wambu Wadibia and his wife, Ma Emily Nweke Wadibia. Her father was a debonair public servant who later became an entrepreneur. Although the people of Ngwa sub group of the Igbo ethnicity and Aba, which by the way got its sobriquet “Enyimba” from the mythological elephant, are known for their industry, creativity and private engagements, the patriarch of the Wadibia dynasty was a typical McCoy who saw more worth in the colonial service and public service, rising to become an Assistant District Officer and County Treasurer. British trained, Pa Wadibia was a close associate and co-mingled at the level of great confidence with the intelligentsia of Eastern Nigeria at the time. Aba is rated as one of the best planned urban areas in all of Nigeria, thanks to Pa Wadibia.

3. A typical Ngwa man with a knack for wealth creation, Pa Wadibia was reputed to have devoted much of his fortune to real estate and promising opportunities while in service. So, on exit, he was perhaps positioned to be one of the early business moguls in the eastern part of Nigeria during the 1940s and 50s. He built the first modern cinema in Aba and also became a prime investor in what is today known as the Ariaria International market. As a matter of fact, this market which is believed to have been his brainchild, as he was a key land owner, is one of the largest commercial enterprises in all of Africa and in some circles is known as the “Taiwan or China of Africa”. Ariaria market has a good name for producing some of the best apparel and textile materials, leather products (shoes and bags), and their subsequent export into West and Central Africa.

4. One word of praise which many had for Pa Wadibia was his great interest in furthering the education of his children, particularly the females, and thereby prepared them for highest levels of service in the new Nigerian nation. His business connections, as well as his informal political links, also created a pathway for networking and eventual family relations with some of the leading families of the time. Soon, his older daughter and elder sister of Lady Wadibia-Anyanwu, who later became known as Dame Dorothy Mbanefo, could not escape the prying attention of one of the most outstanding Nigerian families, the Mbanefos of Onitsha. They sought and obtained her hand in marriage to their son, Patrick Mbanefo.

5. It was, however, a bit of tragedy as the young and bubbling Pa Wadibia and his wife both passed on in early succession at the prime of their lives. Gladly, Lady Wadibia-Anyanwu’s elder sister, who at the time of her father’s death was studying at the London School of Economics in England, returned home to care for her younger siblings. She became the first woman to be appointed Administrative Officer in charge of the Province of Port Harcourt. So, in addition to her own children who came in quick succession, Dame Mbanefo also had the responsibility of raising her kid sister, Nkem. As Dame Mbanefo who joined the Federal Civil Service and rose to become a Deputy Permanent Secretary, a position which existed at the time, along with her husband who was actually an Oxford University trained graduate lived around eastern Nigeria and Lagos as senior civil servants. Life for Lady was more than being fed with a silver spoon. It was at this time that she got a bit of her penchant for the fight for women’s inclusion as her elder sister, along with fellow contemporary, Mrs. Francesca Emmanuel, the first female Federal Permanent Secretary, worked tirelessly for equal treatment for female civil servants. With a family that was much in the elite circles of Lagos, she also grew up imbibing strong social and emotional skills such as self-confidence, empathy, communication, patience, and resilient adherence to faith and character. In addition to the support that came from her big sister, Wadibia-Anyanwu and her other nine siblings equally benefitted amply from the resources that came from the executors of the estate of their father.

PREPARATION AS A LADY OF EXCELLENCE

6. On completion of her primary school, she proceeded to the famous Queen School, Enugu, which was established in 1954 as an academic hub for the most talented young ladies from diverse backgrounds in the eastern region. The motivation for its establishment was by British missionaries with the aim of raising exemplary young women who would imbibe all the virtues of an idyllic Queen. Nonetheless, it became a premier institution managed by the Eastern Regional Government. Queens School was definitely where the most accomplished, most outstanding, and promising were sent to. So, besides Lady, some of its other outstanding products include former Chief Justice of Federal Court, Justice Rose Ukeje, Director General, World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the president of the Customary Court of Appeal of Enugu State, Justice Victoria Nebo, amongst others, many of whom have served Nigeria and the world indeed in different spheres.

7. The stark tragedy of loss of parents which could have emotionally affected Lady in no way stood on her upward movement as she progressed soon after to the premier University of Ibadan, having emerged as one of the most outstanding students in secondary school. At Ibadan’s famous Faculty of Arts, which had previously churned out the likes of Wole Soyinka, Christopher Okigbo, Chinua Achebe, J.P. Clark, B.A. Clark and many other famous and mighty, she studied modern languages.

THE DIPLOMATIC ODYSSEY

8. On completion of her studies at Ibadan in 1972, she got employed as a career diplomat in Nigeria’s Foreign Service, thereby being part of the group that set up the highly specialised Language Bureau in the then Ministry of External Affairs in Lagos. Fortunately, she was in great company as female infusion into the Nigerian diplomatic service was given special attention that year. So, several of her colleagues from Ibadan, as well as from the University of Lagos and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, were equally recruited. This was the first time since the establishment of the Nigerian diplomatic service that more women were brought into the service at a time. These included A.O. Oyesola, Clara Aivboroye, Nike Ukonga, M.E. Ekong-Omaghomi, Margaret Aisha Jimeta, Joke Ayorinde, Jumoke Obafemi. Gladly, all these her female colleagues equally rose steadily to become outstanding ambassadors, there setting a cue for other women today.

9. In view of Nigeria’s emerging profile as a regional leader and ahead of such new national commitments as ECOWAS and FESTAC ‘77, Wadibia-Anyanwu and her colleagues who by the way included few male officers were immediately sent to various countries particularly Germany, France, Canada, Spain to sharpen their multiple language skills and undertake courses in international relations. She was particularly sent to Johannes Gutenberg University in Maines, Germany, for her master’s degree in modern languages. This university, which came up after the end of the 2nd World War in 1946, is one of the world’s oldest academic institutions. Originally founded in 1477, it re-opened in the post-World War II era as a centre for global education of world leaders, hence its motto “ Omes unum sint – that they may all be one”.

10. On return to Nigeria from the postgraduate studies, she started to serve in various departments within the Ministry until her posting to the Permanent Mission of Nigeria, New York in 1979 in charge of the Political Desk. From New York, she was moved briefly to temporarily man the Nigerian Embassy in Paraguay, which had existed at the time. She was further transferred to the Nigerian Embassy in Prague, capital of then Czechoslovakia as next to the Head of Mission. On completion of her stay in Prague, she returned to Nigeria in 1982 for a brief stay of 2 years before being moved out again to the Nigerian High Commission, London, this time as a sufficiently senior officer with the high sounding rank of Minister Plenipotentiary and Head of Chancery. In a typical mission abroad, there is the Head of Mission who is normally the Ambassador or High Commissioner appointed by the Head of State, but is often supported by an Officer designated as Head of Chancery who is often the effective administrative head of a particularly post. It is a kind of relationship between a Cabinet Minister and Permanent Secretary. Quite often, like in the case of Amb. Wadibia-Anyanwu, the Head of Chancery, in addition to their administrative duties, are given substantial responsibilities such as economic or consular issues. In her case, in London, she was also Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organisation.

11. In a variegated service that saw her become a star in almost every responsibility undertaken in different parts of the world and different departments at headquarters, she was moved back to EXTERNAL-LAGOS, as the Ministry was call-signed, as Head of newly created West Africa Department in the now renamed Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Knowing that Nigeria’s diplomacy hobbles around its immediate neighbours, many of which at the time were enmeshed in civil wars and political crises, it is easily noted that only the best, in this case, Lady was considered fit for that position.

12. Now, getting to the Directorate level in the Civil Service, it was no surprise that Wadibia-Anyanwu became appointed Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland where she served for solid four years, 1991-1995. Although Nigeria and that European country had maintained excellent relations from pre-colonial days on account of the fact that a great number of the early missionaries who also brought western education were its citizens, formal diplomatic relations were only formalised in 1963. It stands to Lady, the fifth Nigerian Ambassador to Dublin’s credit, that relations gained great profile as she focused substantially on the question of economic relations, particularly the pursuit of investment opportunities. It raised the profile of Nigeria-Irish trade relations.

13. The 1990s were particularly effusive periods of international diplomacy as the Cold War got to its vortex. Nations all over the world had to put out their best feet forward on matters of multilateral diplomacy. Wadibia-Anyanwu’s return from Ireland therefore saw her posted to the Department in charge of the Second United Nations Department, where she dealt with mostly issues of human rights, world trade negotiations, disarmament and conflict resolution. She manned that department between 1996 and 1998 and led several Nigerian delegations for tough discussions in Geneva and New York. Relatedly, she was soon moved to become Director of the Directorate for International Economic Cooperation from 1998-1999. This was a time when structural adjustment impelled the Nigerian government to pursue its new policy mantra of “Economic Diplomacy” (which began during Maj Gen Ike Nwachukwu’s stewardship as Minister of External Affairs). Lady Wadibia came to give a new turf to this effort and saw several new businesses come into Nigeria during the period she bossed the department. Indeed, some of the incipient discussions on the question of debt restructuring, debt forgiveness, and more equitable debt management between Nigeria and its partners started during that period.

14. Her last diplomatic mission abroad came with the election of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 as President. She was moved for the first time in her career to an African post, the Nigerian High Commission in Kenya. Regarded as a key appointment, due to the political and economic significance of that African country, which is rated as the most important regional power in East Africa, her posting was highly rated. But it was short-lived.

15. In preparation for higher national responsibilities, this Enyimba girl who had become an unstoppable shining star was recalled home in 2000 and sent to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos; an institution established in 1979 as apex training institution for Nigeria’s top managers in both the public and private sectors. On completion from NIPSS, she was moved to Head the Administration Department of the Ministry as Under Secretary (some form of Deputy Permanent Secretary rank, introduced in the American Foreign Service in 1972) and adopted in Nigeria in 2000. For a Department which has responsibility for the management of the welfare and service progression of the entire Nigerian diplomatic service, this was the first time a woman got to that position and to the admiration of all persons in the system, she performed credibly above her peers.

BIG CALL TO BIGGER JOB

16. It would not take long before the ultimate call came ringing in 2004, which was her being named as the first female career Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Although this was the second time a woman had occupied that position, the first was Amb. Judith Sefi Attah is one of Nigeria’s leading educationists. The Okene born princess, one of the first educated women from northern Nigeria and a staff of the Federal Ministry of Education but arrived at the Foreign Office to assume that position in 1986. The impact that she left in the Ministry became both an inspiration and a challenge to Amb. Wadibia-Anyanwu to maintain. Wadibia-Anyanwu’s period as Permanent Secretary remains one of the golden eras of Nigeria Diplomatic Service. True to expectations, she undertook major restructuring of the departments and also introduced a number of initiatives on the career and welfare of service personnel around the world. Of particular importance was her role in ensuring government’s acquisition of properties around the world where Nigeria was hitherto tenants in so many of our missions.

17. Since Federal Permanent Secretaries fall within the administrative purview of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Amb. Wadibia-Anyanwu was posted after some years in the parent ministry to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, handling different schedules, such as establishment, career management, career welfare, etc. Lady enjoyed great confidence from her boss, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, the then Head of Civil Service of the Federation and was therefore at the crucible of decision making in the Civil Service and had her mark in virtually all policy decisions that came out in the implementation of reforms and matters that pertain to the welfare in the civil service.

18. The nation conferred her with the award of Officer of the Niger (OON) and Member of the National Institute (mni) from her NIPSS days

FAITH AND CHARITY WORK

19. Orphaned at the age of seven and risen through life and the civil service to the crest, retirement which started in 2007, was for her a natural return to her first love, which are charity and faith. Her entire existence has, therefore, become devoted to promoting the welfare of widows and orphans all over Nigeria. Aside from that, is her rather infectious devotion to church almost on a full-time basis. In this voluntary work is her leadership in supporting all manners of work that pertain to the promotion of religious devotion and national ideals of peace and unity.

20. Another strong attribute is her great devotion to a small clique of friends, which included Engr. Ebele Okeke, the first female Civil Engineer from the whole of eastern Nigeria and later First female Head of Civil Service of the Federation. They became inseparable, almost as Siamese twins. She described her friend as “focused and hardworking and brave in articulating her position at all times with dignified simplicity”. Others are Dr. Adaora Okwuosa, a former Permanent Secretary who, after her civil service, became a Commissioner in ECOWAS, Chief Arikawe, a fellow Permanent Secretary, Dr. Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, a fellow Permanent Secretary and no less the second female Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Ms. Ammal Pepple.

CONCLUDING WORD

21. The Nigerian Hall of Fame for Women, marshals out the names of women with extraordinary gift, who continue to set the highest of standards of national service that have taken Nigeria to where it is today and set standards for generations of Nigerian women. In history, the memory of Queen Amina, Moremi, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Margaret Ekpo, Ladi Kwali, Flora Nwapa continue to resonate among us. No less in contemporary times are such names as Nana Asmawu, Emecheta, award winning author, Chimamanda Adichie, former Miss World, Agbani Darego and the scores of young female ground breaking artists such as Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, etc. Quietly behind the labyrinth of national development, however, are the scores of female technocrats and professionals who continue to break the silver lining and tread where even angels have not trodden. Lady Wadibia belongs to this set. She typifies the hackneyed saying that “A successful woman is she who never gave up on the journey to success”. At 75, age seems to be just a number as her almost irresistible beauty, strength and acumen to answer any new call to service both of the nation, of humanity and most especially of God’s work are totally unfettered. In the civil service where she had left her main mark, she boasts of producing generations of Permanent Secretaries and Ambassadors who themselves have produced younger ones. No greater worth of life lies beyond that.

Joyeux anniversaire!

• Igali is a retired Ambassador, and Permanent Secretary