The late wife of former Military president Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida came alive in Minna on Saturday, January 18th, 2025, when her youngest daughter, Halima, launched her NGO, the Halimah Ibrahim Babangida Foundation.
The event honoured Maryam Babangida’s memory. It attracted a huge crowd of widows, students, and the less privileged, who all came in the hope of benefitting from an empowerment programme, scholarship, or entrepreneurship support.
The crowd came to the El-Amin University auditorium in Minna as early as 8 am even though the event was billed to start by 10 am. They included young widows, male and female students and pupils from different schools and communities in Niger State.
The event advertisement stated that 300 widows would receive start-up capital for businesses and 500 students would be enrolled for bursaries to support their university education.
Some school principals were also invited on behalf of 4,000 indigent youths whose WAEC and JAMB fees had been paid by the foundation.
The first lady of Niger State, Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Bago, was the special guest of honour, while the emir of Minna, Dr Umar Faruk Bahago, was the father of the day.
The programme started at 10 a.m., and the hall was filled with women and students who sat in the hope of benefiting from Halima’s empathy.
Zainab Umar, a 38-year-old widow, said that her husband died and left her with three young children she could not afford to sponsor through school.
“I’m hoping that the Halima Foundation will help me start a business and use the money to train my children,” she said.
Also, Salim Mohammed, a student of Geography at the IBB University, Lapai, said, “I have three other siblings who’re still in school while our father is retired,” adding that getting a bursary from the foundation would be life-changing for him.
An elderly widow, Madam Abigael, who said she was informed about the event by a neighbour, also hoped to be among those who would benefit from the foundation’s empowerment packages, which included cash and other items.
Apart from the special guest of honour, who sent Hajia Hadiza Maikano to represent her, other VIPs present include the commissioner for basic education, Hajia Maimuna Mohammed, Dr Nurudeen Lemu, Mrs Ladi Mustapha, and the Bosso local government area chairman, Hajiya Rakiya Ladidi Bawa.
The elder brothers of the HIB Foundation founder, Mohammed and Aminu Babangida, also came to support their sister. Mohammed, the pro-chancellor of El-Amin University, gave a goodwill message and said the event represented the essence of their late mother, who loved education and helping the poor.
Mohammed called Halima “the baby of the house” when their mother died 15 years ago, but she said she is now carrying on Maryam Babangida’s legacy through the HIB Foundation.
The state’s first lady, Her Excellency Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Bago, also commended Halima for her initiative. In a speech delivered on her behalf, she said the event reminded her about the “enduring legacy of one of Niger State’s finest daughters. Dr. (Mrs) Maryam Babangida was not just a mother to her children. She was a mother to the entire nation. This visionary worked tirelessly to uplift rural women and families.”
She said it was befitting that her daughter is now “continuing her mother’s journey of compassion and empowerment,” adding that she had “chosen education as her platform, ensuring that young boys and girls, especially those with limited opportunities, can dream big and achieve even more.”
The first lady stated further that the foundation’s scholarship programme complements the initiatives of Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s administration aimed at providing quality education and reducing barriers, particularly for the most vulnerable in the state.
Dr Nurudeen Lemu commended the HIB Foundation and its founder for choosing not to be an onlooker but an active participant in the service of humanity. He described her effort as similar to the attempt to stop the Titanic (a ship in a film by James Cameron) from sinking. He said Halima could choose to do nothing to uplift others but decided she would do something.
In her speech, Halima said her late mother inspired the project, which she launched to commemorate the 15th anniversary of her passing.
“I remember vividly how my mother would sit with rural women, teaching them to read, showing them that knowledge was their greatest asset,” she stated.
“As we launch the Halimah Ibrahim Babangida Foundation on this 15th anniversary of her passing, we honour her legacy with words and decisive action.”
She revealed that the foundation launched three groundbreaking initiatives to empower 300 widows and young entrepreneurs, fund WAEC and JAMB for 4000 students, and establish a comprehensive bursary programme for 500 undergraduates.
In her journey of compassion and passion for education, she acknowledged the complementary role of her childhood friend, Fatima Dangote.
She said, “While my dear friend Fatima Dangote cannot be here physically today, our shared vision remains unshaken. We chose to launch here, where our journey began, because we believe in the power of roots, the strength of coming full circle, and the importance of giving back to the soil that nurtured us.
“The Halimah Ibrahim Babangida Foundation is a testament to what becomes possible when vision meets action. Our mission – ‘Better Education, Better Youth, Better Nation’ – is more than a slogan. It is our blueprint for national transformation, one young mind at a time.
“Today, we don’t just launch a foundation; we ignite a movement. Join us in this mission. Whether you’re an educator, entrepreneur, or community leader, you have a role in this transformation.
“Let history record that on this day, in this place where dreams once took root, we planted a forest of opportunity for thousands to follow.”
After the speeches, the guests were invited, one after the other, to hand over cash and other empowerment items to widows. Some school principals were also handed lists and payment receipts for WAEC and JAMB for selected students numbering up to 4000. Some talented undergraduates also got scholarships
