Aisha Yesufu (born December 12, 1973) is a Nigerian political activist and businesswoman who co-founded the #BringBackOurGirls initiative, which raised awareness of the kidnapping of over 200 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria,  by the terrorist group Boko Haram. She has also been heavily involved in the End SARS campaign against police brutality in Nigeria.

Aisha Yesufu Biography

Aisha Somtochukwu Yesufu was born on December 12, 1973, in Agbede, Edo State, and grew up in Kano. She faced the challenges of being a girl in a highly patriarchal society. By the age of 11, she had lost all of her female acquaintances, who had either married or died after childbirth. And by the time she married at 24, the majority of her remaining pals were approaching grandmotherhood. During her upbringing, she claims her love of books helped her realise there was a world beyond the ghetto, and she wanted that life.

She applied to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1991, but was turned down due to her gender (she was female). In 1992, she was initially admitted to Usmanu Danfodiyo University; however, after the school closed, she enrolled at Ahmadu Bello University to study medicine.

Aisha Yesufu later left Ahmadu Bello University as well, after the school was shut down following the killing of a professor in 1994. She ultimately completed her education at Bayero University, Kano, from which she graduated with a degree in microbiology

Career

After the terrorist group Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in 2014, Yesufu and Oby Ezekwesili created the #BringBackOurGirls initiative to advocate for their release. Yesufu was among the women protestors who marched on the Nigerian National Assembly in the country’s capital, Abuja, on April 30, 2014.

Yesufu is a major member of the End SARS movement, which began in 2017 to draw attention to police brutality in Nigeria and takes its name from a contentious police unit in the Nigerian Police Force known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. A photograph of her wearing a hijab at an End SARS demonstration has become an iconic emblem of the movement. Yesufu stated on the End SARS protests, “I will not be an irresponsible father and forsake this struggle for my children. I am willing to give my life so that my children can live. I brought them into this world, and I need to fix the one I put them in.

Awards

Yesufu was named one of the BBC’s Top 100 Women in 2020. In 2020, New African magazine named Yesufu one of the top 100 most influential Africans. In 2023, Reputation Poll International (RPI) selected Aisha Yesufu as one of 14 Nigerians on the list of the ‘100 most respectable Africans’. She was also named to the list of the 50 Most Influential Voices for 2023 International Women’s Day. Yesufu has also won the Martin Luther King Award.

Aisha Yusuf husband

Yesufu married Aliu Osigwe Yesufu in 1998. They have two children: Amir and Alliyyah.

Aisha Yesufu Net Worth

Aisha Yesufu’s net worth is predicted to be around $700,000 as of 2024. Her money comes from her activities as a political activist and entrepreneur. Her influence has earned her significant acclaim, both locally and abroad.

Social Media

Aisha Yesufu is an active social media user, often sharing updates and insights across several platforms to interact with her audience and fight for social change.

• Twitter: @AishaYesufu
• Instagram: @aishayesufu
• Facebook: Aisha Yesufu