‘Nigeria Will Work In My Lifetime’ – Aisha Yesufu Opens Up On Governance, Activism And Her Family As She’s Named KOKO’s 2020 Woman Of The Year

The year has seen a lot of things happen, and like many other people in the limelight, Aisha Yesufu has seen more bashings than praises in the year, especially with the protests and her demands for good governance, but is still putting her head up high above them all.
In an exclusive session with KOKO TV’s Adenike Sobo and Emmanuel Ajide, the agro-businesswoman who emerged KOKO’s 2020 Woman of the Year, opened up on how the year turned out to be for her, her business, and how she manages to stay put. See below excerpts from the session below:
When one hears Aisha Yesufu, the only thing that comes to mind is ‘that powerful woman on the neck of the Nigerian Government’. Putting all of these aside, who exactly are you, and what do you do?
Well, basically I’m crazy. So that’s for sure. If you are reading, this is me, my name is Aisha Yesufu and I’m crazy. I’m an active Nigerian citizen. I don’t see myself as an activist or any of that because basically, I don’t do labels. If you go to my social media handles, especially my Twitter, it says that I don’t do label, I am me, and I say it as it is. You either love me or hate me and either one is perfectly okay. I also say that in my court, nobody wins, and basically that is who I am. I’m a very fun loving person, I’m goofy, I’m always making jokes, I’m always cracking people around me. My daughter would say that, oh, Mommy, you make someone laugh all the time. But you know, when people see me they ask, do you actually smile? Yes, I do. Beside activism, beside fighting for Nigeria’s issue, I’m actually a businesswoman. I’m a trader, I’m a market woman. That’s what I do. I do business. I’ve never worked for anyone in my life. I’ve only worked for myself. I started business in the year 2000. And so it’s 20 years now that I’ve been doing business.
When I turned 40, I realised that I had become the problem of Nigeria. Before turning 40, I can tell you that I didn’t care about what happened in Nigeria. I was just focused on myself because I wanted to attain financial independence. I grew up very poor. There was a time in my life when I would go to school in the morning without breakfast, and I will come back home not expecting lunch. It was a very hard time. When I wrote my SSCE in 1991, I begged people to give me text books so that I’ll be able to get A’s but I never got those text books. So, leaving school, I knew how it was being poor, when you’re poor, you’re faceless, nameless and voiceless, you’re not seen as a human being, I didn’t want that degradation that I saw of myself as a human being. So I fought so hard to get that financial independence, and by the time I turned 40, I realised that I had become the problem of Nigeria by not speaking out, by just focusing on myself and the people around me. Although, I have always been vocal, people that know me know I’ve always fought against injustice within my circle, but not on national level. Even as a teenager, I hated Nigeria. So there was an Aisha before 2014, and an Aisha after 2014.
Read also: “My Sexuality Is None Of Your Business!”, Aisha Yesufu Slams Those Referring To Her As A Gay Rights Activist
The Aisha before 2014 never bothered about listening to news, didn’t know what was happening in the country, was just focused on herself on the people around her. But after 2014, I joined the Bring Back Our Girls Movement, and why did I join them? It was after my decision at my 40th birthday, and that was in December 12, 2013. I said to myself, no, I can’t continue like this because there are children who are in the position that I used to be in, who are suffering today, who my silence is affecting. I remember the little girl that I was and from that day, I made up my mind, I was going to start focusing on national issues and four months after the Chibok Girls abduction happened. I joined the Bring Back Our Girls movement and my voice has been heard ever since from there. I’m one person who is very vocal, and I’m very passionate. Anything I do in life, I give it my 100%. I don’t believe in doing things by half measure, and that’s the reason the moment I decided that I was going to lend my voice to national issues, I was heard loud and clear. I didn’t wait for anybody to give me a seat at the table, I brought my own table and make sure that people join me on it.
2020 Came And Shocked Everyone. How Was It For You – Business, Family And Life Generally?
(reaches out for her phone)… I am trying to get the message my daughter sent to me on my birthday, that message kind of captures my year. For me the year, 2020 has been a year like no other. It started, on such a high note, especially personally. New Year’s eve was such a moment. I was in the UK with my family, we had amazing time dancing and my son was hyping me. Then we entered into the year and everything grounded to a halt. In terms of my business, it was quite tough. Initially, it was not really hard because it is an essential commodity business, it never closed, even during COVID-19. I sell chicken feeds and animals had to be fed just the way human beings had to be fed, so my warehouses were open. But along the way, of course, issues of raw materials not being available came up. One of the things I have learnt is that for every product, there are opportunities and so, at some point, I had to delve into human food materials.
On family, it has just been an amazing year. My children in the UK, and my husband and I here, we’ve been going and coming too. When it was my birthday, I just wanted to relax and have fun so I told my husband let’s go to the UK but he said No. I went with my friends, lodged in a hotel and had a cool nice time. Then the message my daughter sent to me, it got me so much and captures my year totally. Here it is (reads daughter’s message from her phone) , “Happy Birthday Mummy, hope you have an amazing birthday it seems like it since you already checked into the Hilton You have accomplished so much these year with your weight, activism and goals. In sha Allah further years will be even better. May Allah protect you and reward you in this life and in the next. Happy Birthday to the best mum everrrrrrrrrr and self proclaimed emoji queen.” (laughs). My children have been a source of strength and they check me to ensure that I am still in line. (interviewer cuts in… Do you think your activism will influence them to become activists too?) They are doing activism already, my daughter invited me to join the Black Lives Matter protests back in May, and I went. So over all, it’s been a one of  a kind year.
You are our Woman Of The Year. Did you see this coming, and how do you feel?
Oh, I have not heard that before, I didn’t know that, you are just telling me now, and to be honest, I never saw it coming. It feels so good, though I am one person that do not let the hypes and all get to my head, just like I don’t let the insults on social media get at me. Once you insult me, I give you double and that’s all. I don’t keep grudges and don’t let things get at me. All these people that will come on social media abusing me, na their wahala because I don’t know anyone of them. if I see you on the road, I do not recognise you. But if you see me, you will recognise me, so it is your wahala. I don’t let it get to me. I want to say a very big Thank you to KOKO Media for this, I never saw it coming and I appreciate it.

Photos Credit: KOKO