Virginia Etiaba

Who is Virginia Etiaba?

Dame Virginia Ngozi Etiaba was the Governor of Anambra State, a state in south-central Nigeria, from November 2006 to February 2007. She is the first female governor in Nigeria's history. Her instatement came as the previous governor, Peter Obi, was impeached by the state legislature for alleged gross misconduct. She transferred her powers back to Obi three months later when an appeal court nullified the impeachment.

Etiaba is a native of Umudim Nnewi, in the Nnewi North Local Council of Anambra State.

For 35 years she worked as a teacher and headed several schools in Kafanchan, Aba, Port Harcourt, and Nnewi. She retired from the services of the Anambra State Government in 1991 and founded the Bennet Etiaba Memorial Schools, Nnewi, of which she was the proprietress. In March 2006 she resigned to assume the position of the Deputy Governor of Anambra State.

She was a member of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs, International Literacy Programme for the Nnewi North Local Council, the Environmental International Vanguard and the World Organization for Early Childhood Education.