9 January 1925 – 5 February 2023
Hilda Adefarasin was a Nigerian women's rights activist and former president of the National Council of Women's Societies (NCWS). She left her nursing profession in 1969 to focus fully on her work with the NCWS. She became the council’s treasurer in 1971 and was later elected president in 1987.
Early Life and Education
Hilda Adefarasin was born in Lagos on 9 January 1925 to Wilford and Ethel Petgrave. Her father, a Jamaican-born professional, worked with the Nigerian Railway, while her mother (née Ambleston) was born in Antigua.
She attended:
- CMS Girls' School, Lagos
- Achimota College, Ghana
In 1945, she began training as a pupil-midwife at Massey Street Hospital.
In 1948, she traveled to England, where she qualified as a registered nurse in 1951.
Career and Activism
- In 1960, she co-founded the Professional Association of Trained Nurses of Nigeria and served as its secretary.
- She joined NCWS as a representative of nurses.
- Served as treasurer of NCWS (1971–1980).
- Became president of NCWS in 1984, succeeding Justice Nzeako.
As NCWS president, she:
- Continued a tradition of educated elite women leading the council.
- Described NCWS as a platform for diverse professional women promoting women’s inclusion in nation-building.
- Championed:
- The Expanded Programme on Immunization
- The creation of operational theatres for young girls suffering from vesico vaginal fistula
In 1986, she was one of two women nominated by President Ibrahim Babangida to serve on the Political Bureau.
Personal Life and Death
Hilda was married to Hon. Justice Joseph Adetunji Adefarasin.
She was the mother of:
- Wale Adefarasin
- Adebola Adefarasin
- Yinka Ogundipe
- Michael Adeyemi Adefarasin
- Paul Adefarasin
She celebrated her 90th birthday on 1 November 2015.
Hilda Adefarasin died on 5 February 2023 at the age of 98.