Maryam Laushi is a communication specialist and activist who has been one of the most vocal Northern voices raising awareness on gender equality, social justice and youth inclusion in politics in recent times.
She is also the National Publicity Secretary of the Modern Democratic Party of Nigeria, a new political party that emerged in 2018.
Maryam Laushi Biography – Early Life and Education
Maryam Laushi was born in 1996 in Kaduna State, Nigeria. She grew up with a father who often talked about ill leadership and how Nigerians suffer for it, and that shaped her worldview.
She attended Coventry University in the United Kingdom, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Advertising & Media and her Masters degree in Marketing management¹. She relocated to Nigeria after concluding her Masters degree program in 2017.
Career and Activism
Maryam Laushi began her career as a research and social media assistant on Mallam Nasir El’ Rufai’s 2015 gubernatorial campaign. The election was successful and she moved from Kaduna to Abuja, where she was hired as a new media manager at Leadership Newspaper groups. This helped advance her career as a communication specialist.
Maryam Laushi is also passionate about education, growth and development. She volunteers for several non-profits, including Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA). She is a pioneer member of the Not Too Young To Run leadership team, a movement that advocated for the reduction of the age limit for running for elective offices in Nigeria. The movement was successful in getting the bill passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018. The law enabled more young people to participate in the 2019 general elections, producing the country’s youngest lawmaker, a 27-year-old from Akwa Ibom State.
Maryam Laushi is also a champion of gender equality and women’s empowerment. She has been involved in various projects and campaigns to raise awareness on the issues affecting women and girls in Nigeria, such as sexual and reproductive health, education, violence, and political participation. She believes that the world should be made safer so that women can maintain their agency and gain more participation. She has also received several awards and recognition for her work, such as the SME100 Nigeria’s 25 under-25 award for Active Citizenry and the Under 30s award for politics and governance in 2017.
Conclusion
Maryam Laushi is a young and inspiring leader who is making history one day at a time. She is a role model for many young Nigerians, especially women, who aspire to make a positive difference in their society. She is a firm believer in a greater future for Nigeria, where young people and women would play critical roles in building a bright future for the country.