- Source: Amina Sijuwade
Amina Sijuwade (née Dyeris) is a Nigerian lawyer, administrator, and member of the Sijuwade Royal Family. She is a two-time commissioner – first the Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice and then the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, both for Kaduna State. She is also the wife to Prince Adetokunbo Sijuwade - the group managing director of Sijuwade Group and son of Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II - the 50th Ooni of Ife.
Early life and education
Princess Amina was born on 22 May 1968 to the late General Danjuma Dyeris and Stella Dyeris. She was the only child until she lost her mother. Years after, her father married Seyi Dyeris who bore him five children: Abosede Dyeris-Folayan, Aminu Dyeris, Murna Dyeris-Obatola, Kyola Dyeris-Fakah and Ibrahim Dyeris. Princess Amina studied English Studies at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. From there, she proceeded to study law at University of Buckingham. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1995.
Career
After graduating, Princess Amina worked as a Legal Practitioner at Dipo Onifade and Associates and then as a Legal Officer at Nigeria Cybercrime Working Group (NCWG). Few Years after, she was appointed Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice, Kaduna State by Governor Nasir El Rufai. As Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Kaduna state, she acted as the state's Chief Laws Officer, advising the government on all legal matters that affected the state, its ministries, departments, and agencies. Princess Amina was also in charge of the protection of citizens’ rights against abuse and violation as well as the prosecution of all criminal cases in the state by drafting of executive bills, contracts, and MOU's.
Some success achieved while Princess Amina served as Attorney General include:
Chairing the Committee of Attorney Generals of the 19 northern states of Nigeria, which reviewed the Criminal Procedure Legislation by adopting the Administration of Criminal Justice Act- which was passed by the state House of Assembly into Law in 2017.
Improving case management in the Ministry, by successfully setting up a computerised case management system to monitor and track all case files in the Ministry. This was done with the support of the UK Department for International Development (DFID)
Helped to review guidelines for prisons decongestion to ease the procedures for the prison decongestion exercise.
Introduced skill acquisition programmes for prison intimates in collaboration with the National Open University of Nigeria, and other partners in IT, tailoring, carpentry, and hair dressing.
Initiated the set-up of 4 ‘Non-Sexual Assault’ referral centres in the three senatorial zones of the state to provide medical, physio-social, and legal services free of charge to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Furthermore, on sub-ministerial appointments, Princess Amina was Chairman– committee of Attorney-Generals of the Northern States of Nigeria, Member of – Body of Benchers, Nigeria, Member -Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee, and Chairman – Committee to set up KASTLEA – Kaduna State Committee on the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Disbarment Committee).
She was also the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Kaduna State.
On the other hand, Princess Amina is also very active in charity work till date, she is the coordinator of Abraham Seeds Foundation – a non-governmental organisation set up solely to provide care for homeless and abandoned children in the FCT. The charity’s goal is to help restore a sense of hope and purpose in the lives of homeless and abandoned children and help prepare them for independent life as equal citizens of Nigeria.
Moreover, Princess Amina also has considerable private sector experience garnered from various management positions in organisations such as Abuja Investments Company Limited, Northern Numero Resources Ltd, Advocaat Law Practices, Aurelia Mining Ltd - a UK based gold exploration company that owns the rights to the Babban Tsauni Gold Project in Abuja, and Business Development And Investments Ltd (BDILtd) - a business development consultancy which was responsible for the development of a state-wide strategy for the development of the solid minerals sector in Kaduna State.
Personal life
She married Prince Adetokunbo Sijuwade, the managing director of Sijuwade Group and son of Oba Okunade Sijuwade in 1996. They have two children: Adedunni Sijuwade (b. 1998) and Adejuwon Sijuwade (b. 2000).
