Margaret Ekpo was a pioneer in Nigerian politics, breaking barriers for women at a time when they were expected to remain silent. Born in 1914 in Creek Town, Nigeria, she initially trained as a teacher before furthering her education in Dublin, Ireland. When she returned, she became an activist, inspired by the discrimination she saw against Nigerians under colonial rule.
Her activism took off in the 1940s, when she attended a meeting where British colonial officials dismissed the voices of Nigerian men protesting poor living conditions. Realizing that women’s voices were completely missing from these discussions, she mobilized women to take up leadership roles in politics.
By the 1950s, she had founded the Abba Women’s Association, which evolved into a powerful women’s movement, pushing for equal political participation. She later worked alongside Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, leading women’s protests against colonial rule and advocating for better welfare policies.
Margaret Ekpo became one of the first women to win a political seat in Nigeria, serving in the Eastern Regional House of Assembly in 1961. She was not just fighting for women—she was fighting for an entire nation’s right to self-govern. Her leadership paved the way for many Nigerian women in politics today.