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Aug 2020
11m 8s

Margaret Ekpo - Nigeria's feminist pione...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

One of the leading figures in Nigeria's fight for democracy was Margaret Ekpo, a feminist politician and trades union leader. After Nigerian independence in 1960, Ekpo became an MP and a hero to a generation of Nigerians - men and women. Rebecca Kesby tells the story of her life.

PHOTO: Margaret Ekpo in London in August 1953 (ANL/Shutterstock)

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