Dr Mairo Mandara is the Special Adviser and coordinator for sustainable development, partnerships and humanitarian support to the Borno State governor, Professor Babagana Zulum. She is currently a member of the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Group on the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). In this interview with SEGUN KASALI, she speaks about growing up and other experiences.
YOU must have had a memorable childhood experience, coming from an illustrious family in the North…
I had a lovely father who believed in me and all his children; he supported all his children. I grew up in Jos and my father also believed in education. So, he put me up in a missionary school called Girls High School and I was the only Muslim girl in my set.
How did you cope?
I was very young – about 10 years old. It was very interesting because I grew up in a house where everyone prayed. So, I did not stop doing my Muslim prayers even though I had to go to church on Sundays. It was difficult for me as a child but because most of our teachers were whites, they singled me out and showed me extra love and care. But it was very strange for me when with the other girls because some of my friends had never seen a Muslim pray before that time and as a result, some asked me why I was putting my forehead on the ground to pray and so on. It was also fantastic for me because it toughened me but most importantly, at the age of 14, I began to read books like Al-Ghazali and by the time I was in Form Three, I was also reading about Buddhism, Islam, Comparative Religion, Hinduism and all others. So, that opened my mind towards understanding the world better. It also gave me a better understanding of Islam. It gave me the understanding that I am beyond me.
Was your dad intentional about taking you to the mission school?
I think my dad was very intentional. The reason I said that is because he defied all the school rules. The school rule was that you can only visit your child once a month. But my dad would come anytime the spirit told him to come and check on me. The school had to conclude that for this guy there is no rule. And all my friends loved him because anytime he visited he came with a bucket of chinchin. We were always looking forward to him breaking the rules to come to see me. He was intentional about coming to check if I continued praying and all that.
You must have been a daddy’s girl then?
I was not only a daddy’s girl but also a daddy’s love. However, he never spoilt anyone of us. My father was tough, he was in the military. He would always give us what we needed. He tells us that he only has a few obligations towards us – feed us, give us whatever moral upbringing and then pay our school fees.
How brilliant were you in school?
To be honest, I don’t know. Maybe you have to ask my teachers but I was never a bookworm. I played basketball all through my primary school, secondary school and even after I got married. I was not a party person in school. I always sat at the back in class. I played volleyball and long jump. I think I just get bored doing one thing after a while. Recently, I started taking my granddaughter to basketball training. I have been playing basketball for the past two months and I can still score.
Which of your school experiences would you consider as unforgettable?
The unforgettable experience for me was the amount of books I read and I think that was what has shaped me into who I am. I love to read and I read anything.
You wanted to be a pilot but you eventually studied medicine…
Absolutely. At that time, there was no school admitting girls as pilots. I still want to study to become a pilot till now. Flying allows you to explore and for me, the idea of going to the moon is still very exciting. As a child, it was so boring to keep doing the same thing. The first pilot from Northern Nigeria is an alumnus of my school. But for every student back then, it was either medicine, engineering, accounting or law. So, I got an opportunity to study engineering at a polytechnic and medicine as a foundation course at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. Later, when I decided to go to the university, I left for the University of Jos.
Tell us about your stay at the University of Jos.
It was beautiful, but courses like anatomy were difficult for me because you have to memorise a lot. Things like physiology could be imagined and they appeared easier. I was very happy to the extent that I went for my postgraduate studies as soon as I finished. I felt women needed women. Hence, I specialised in the area of gynaecology. I was worried about social injustice and social inequality associated with women. These things pushed me to specialise in gynaecology, to see how I can support women. I think every life has equal value. I think everyone deserves a decent life. Every child deserves to unleash his best potential. For me, I feel very strongly about social justice, and the fact that it is not alright when only you are alright. It is only okay when we are collectively alright. All fingers cannot be the same but there is the bare minimum. For me, I am not happy when children do not go to school. There is no difference between humans and pigs if we don’t have those sensibilities.
Being a gynaecologist must have been a theatre of experience.
Not just as a gynaecologist, but also as a woman. I wish, for a change, every human being should experience pregnancy and labour pains and that is when people will begin to respect women. I think experiencing that changes the paradigm. It is not as if people don’t talk enough about it, but people blame women for many things like infertility and the sex of a child. Infertility is not a woman’s doing and neither is giving birth to children of the same sex It is the man that determines the sex of a child, but people blame women for that. It is not the doing of any woman. They should rather question God about why he isn’t giving the woman a child.
Is this the reason you started GirlChildConcerns Initiative?
It is an NGO dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls through the provision of educational opportunities and life-saving skill for girls, including married adolescents, and providing income generation for poor women. As part of this initiative and in my personal capacity, I have in the last five years been deeply involved in efforts to rebuild Boko Haram-ravaged North-Eastern Nigeria by ensuring that girls affected by the insurgency resume schooling and have good education while women engage in income-generating activities to rebuild their dignity.
You have participated in many health programmes both locally and internationally. What set you apart?
I don’t know, maybe destiny. I just know that whatever I do, I do it well. I only do things when I am convinced about it. When I am convinced about it, I do it with or without pay. I think it is God’s grace. That is all. There is nothing special about me. I am like every other person. I am not the most endowed child. For me, this is a gift and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve. In my opinion, the biggest gift is the opportunity to serve others.
How do you relax?
I relax by reading books. I love to listen to country music and jazz. I am not a movie person. My biggest relaxation now is playing with my grandchildren.
What is that particular thing people don’t know about Governor Zulum?
I think what people don’t know about the governor that I know is that he is selfless. And if you want to see him angry, just trample on the poor. The poor is his life. He is also a family person. You need to see him laughing when he is with his family. It is also amazing seeing this tough guy, who fights insecurity seriously, get on the floor of his house to joke and all that.
READ ALSO: Nigeria Customs gets first female pilot
