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Queen Amina of Zazzau is the only recorded and celebrated female monarch in Northern Nigeria, though her existence is still seen by some to be a myth.
However, Modern day female monarchs exist. In Adamawa state, Ganye Local Government Area. The Dingep kingdom has been ruled for many centuries by women.17 queens spanning across several centuries. One of the known areas ruled by women in Northern Nigeria, with a second one existing in Niger state.
In an interview with BBC Hausa Queen Elizabeth Jarman spoke about life in Ganye, asking for the government’s intervention at the end of the one – minute documentary to come to their aid as Ganye is a rural area without a hospital and school.
She sits on a chair with her veil draped over her skirt and blouse sewn with Ankara material and a colorful cap. Her crown sits on her head, two women sit on each side of her. The trio of women faced her subjects who sat on mats.
Dingep Kingdom in Ganye Local Government Area of Adamawa State has been ruled by women for more than 7 centuries, a peculiar feature from other kingdoms in the North of the country. The size of the village and how remote it is may have contributed to the existence of this queen being hidden.
The town has a population of over 500 people and the queen administers all the functions of the traditional male rulers in some kingdoms.
“We were living peacefully until the Fulani Chamba people started having clashes,” She said.
