Hadiza Isma El-Rufai
Nigerian novelist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hadiza Isma El-Rufai (ⓘ; born 21 June 1960) is a Nigerian writer (novelist), and wife to the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. She was the founder of Yasmin El-rufai Foundation (YELF), a non-profit literary organization.[1]
Haj Hadiza Isma El-Rufai | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 June 1960 Kano, Kano State, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Other names | Hadiza Isma |
| Alma mater | Ahmadu Bello University, Bath Spa University |
| Occupation(s) | Architect novelist, politician |
| Years active | 1999 to present |
| Organization | Yasmin El-Rufai Foundation (YELF) |
| Known for | Writer, philanthropist |
| Notable work | An Abundance of Scorpions |
| Spouse | Nasir el-Rufai |
Biography
El-Rufai was born Hadiza Isma in Kano, Nigeria, to Mohammed Musa Isma and Amina Iya Isma.[2] Her father was a civil servant.
She has a BSc and MSc in Architecture (1983) and an MBA (1992) from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, as well as a Masters in Creative Writing (2012) from Bath Spa University, United Kingdom.[3]
From there, she worked as a lecturer at the Department of Architecture at Kaduna Polytechnic, a few more years at the National Electric Power Authority, before working in private practice.
She also speaks French language fluently.
Family life
In 1985, she married Mallam Nasir El-Rufai whom she met in 1976 at the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.[4] He later became the Minister of the FCT in Nigeria, and the Governor of Kaduna State.[5]
Literary career
In 2017, El-Rufai published An Abundance of Scorpions (Ouida Books),[6] a novel inspired by volunteer work the author did at an orphanage in Abuja, and her desire to write about an orphan.[7] It was presented at the 2017 edition of the Aké Arts and Book Festival.[8]
The work has been described by Helon Habila as "a heartbreaking tale of loss and an uplifting story of a woman's strength and determination".[9][10]
Philanthropy
Along with her husband, El-Rufai set up Yasmin El-Rufai Foundation (YELF) in 2013 to honour her daughter who died of an epileptic seizure in her flat in London in November 2011.[11][12] The literary nonprofit was fully launched in 2017[13][14] with the aims of nurturing creativity in children, "particularly the girl child, between the ages of eight and 19" and young/adult women, providing them "resources with teachers and the books that they need to enhance their literacy."[15][16]
As First Lady of Kaduna State, she has also used the office for philanthropic purposes to benefit the less privileged, donating drugs to sickle cell patients in Kaduna.[17][18][19]
Twitter comment controversy
In April 2020, El-Rufai, had responded on twitter to a comment about her son using language with a threat of sexual violence against a critic during an argument on the social network[20] with "Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. All is fair in love and war." The remarks caused a lot of backlash on social media, including at Brittle Paper, a literary magazine, where an editorial disagreement between the editors about how to present the report led to the departure of the deputy editor.[21][22] El-Rufai eventually apologised for her comment, saying she had misunderstood the earlier conflict and would "never condone sexual abuse in any shape or form"[23] She later threatened to sue the group that accused her of condoning her son's sexual assault remarks.[24][25]
See also
References
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