In traditional Yoruba society, family names carry profound meaning—they are repositories of principles, practices, beliefs, and occupations that define a lineage’s contribution to the world. Just as “Ogun” reflects the vocation and spirituality of metalworking and creativity, or “Ade” signifies royalty and its attendant responsibilities, the name Abiola has become indelibly etched into Nigeria’s democratic consciousness. Since June 12, 1993, now recognized as Democracy Day in Nigeria, the Abiola name has symbolized the struggle for free and fair elections, the fight against tyranny, and the unwavering commitment to the prosperity of the people. When Democracy Day is celebrated, the sacrifices of Chief M.K.O. Abiola and Kudirat Abiola are remembered not just as historical events, but as defining moments in Nigeria’s, Africa’s, and indeed the world’s democratic trajectory.
Hafsat Olaronke Abiola-Costello stands as the living embodiment of this legacy. The Yoruba saying goes, “Omo tekun ba bi, Ekun nii jo”—a lion’s cub resembles its parents. Such is the story of Hafsat. Her life poses a profound question to each of us: What principles are associated with our family names? What beliefs and philosophies do we uphold? Are they sources of pride that enrich the world, or do they tarnish not only our own reputations but also the history of those who came before us and those who will come after? Hafsat’s answer is clear, compelling, and challenging—she has chosen to honor her lineage by continuing the work her parents died for, ensuring that the Abiola name remains synonymous with democracy, justice, and the empowerment of the marginalized.
The Foundations of a Superpower
Born in Lagos in 1974, Hafsat grew up in a household where service to others was not merely encouraged—it was lived. Her father, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, was a self-made billionaire who never forgot his humble origins. He was a man whose own father named him Kashimawo—”let us wait and see”—after losing seventeen children before the age of five. When young Kashimawo defied the odds and survived, his father renamed him to reflect the honor he brought to the family. M.K.O. grew up to become one of Africa’s most brilliant minds, ranking fourth worldwide in his accounting exams, yet he remained deeply committed to the poor. He believed wealth was meaningless if it did not serve the people.
Hafsat’s mother, Kudirat, was equally formidable, though in a different way. A high school graduate and the second of M.K.O.’s wives in a polygamous household, Kudirat possessed an empathy and courage that would ultimately cost her life. When M.K.O. won Nigeria’s historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, an election so transparently fair that even voters on his opponent’s street chose him, the military annulled the results and threw him in jail. Kudirat, a mother of seven, refused to remain silent. With imperfect English but perfect resolve, she took to the streets, spoke to CNN and BBC, and mobilized Nigeria’s grassroots, the market women, the oil workers, the ordinary people who would not be bought off by the military. She funded the longest oil workers’ strike in history, sold her properties, and became the face of the pro-democracy movement. On June 4, 1996, just days before Hafsat’s graduation from Harvard University, Kudirat was assassinated, gunned down in broad daylight by the military she dared to defy.
Hafsat’s education reflects the global vision her parents instilled in her. She attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, before earning a degree in Development Economics from Harvard University. Later, she pursued a master’s degree in International Development from Tsinghua University in China. Her father had told her,
“Hafsat, go and learn what they know. Learn how they build societies that work.”
This directive shaped not only her academic pursuits but also her life’s mission—to understand the systems that create prosperity and justice, and to bring that knowledge back to Nigeria.
From Grief to Activism
The day Kudirat was killed, Hafsat was two days away from graduating from Harvard. Most people, faced with such a tragedy, would collapse under the weight of grief. But Hafsat was raised by a man who called his daughters “Super Girls,” and by a woman who believed courage could change the world.
She imagined her mother’s final thoughts:
“This is a sudden journey. Maybe I should tell Hafsat what to do, how to carry on.”
And then Hafsat imagined Kudirat saying,
“I don’t need to tell Hafsat anything. She will know.”
And so, Hafsat knew.
Within hours of her mother’s assassination, she was on CNN, sending a clear message to the military:
“If by killing her you wanted to silence this woman, know that you have not succeeded for even a day. I will defend that woman because I knew her. And I knew she was guided by the right principles and the right ideals. I was not going to let them win.”
Hafsat’s younger sister left Swarthmore College, braided hair to earn money, and cared for their siblings, the youngest just seven years old, while Hafsat traveled across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, rallying the Nigerian diaspora. She worked with Special Olympics, whose founders, the Shrivers and Kennedys, were themselves fighters for justice. She collaborated with Professor Wole Soyinka and other intellectuals to keep international pressure on Nigeria’s military regime. They bought shares in oil companies like Shell so they could challenge executives in boardrooms about jailed oil workers. They lobbied the U.S. State Department, the UK government, and anyone who would listen.
In 1999, the military finally relented, releasing political prisoners and transitioning to democratic rule. But the day before they did, they brought M.K.O.’s family to convince him to accept their terms. His response was haunting:
“But how will I explain to Kudirat?”
Kudirat had been dead for two years. The next day, the military gave the family M.K.O.’s lifeless body. He had joined his beloved wife in the afterlife, but their legacy lived on in Hafsat.
Philosophy: Women, the Vulnerable, and Democracy
Hafsat’s philosophy is rooted in a simple but profound truth: democracy is only meaningful when it serves the people, especially the most vulnerable. She founded the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) in 1997 to honor her mother’s memory and to empower women and marginalized communities. Through KIND, she has trained thousands of women in service-oriented leadership, supported victims of gender-based violence, and encouraged women’s participation in political life. KIND brought The Vagina Monologues to deeply conservative Nigeria, using the proceeds to help girls whose bodies had been damaged by forced early marriages access medical treatment.
Hafsat’s belief in women’s power is unshakable. She has said,
“Women’s equal engagement in the economy and governance systems at all levels will lead to a better world.”
This is the driving force behind her work with the Women in Africa Initiative (WIA), where she serves as President and CEO. WIA connects and supports high-potential African women entrepreneurs, recognizing that when women succeed, entire communities prosper.
Her philosophy extends beyond gender to encompass all who are excluded from power. She believes that Africa’s problems—poverty, corruption, conflict—are not insurmountable. They are the result of systems that privilege the few at the expense of the many. When asked about Nigeria’s persistent poverty, she is blunt: billions of dollars are stolen every year by public officials.
“For what? To buy a house in Florida? To fly first class? No one dies flying economy.”
Service in Ogun State
In 2011, following advice she received during her studies in China,
“Enter the state, because there’s power in the state. And you cannot say it’s corrupt. No—it’s the people that are there. And if you are there, you can bring that new energy”
Hafsat accepted a position in the cabinet of Ogun State, her parents’ ancestral home and an industrial hub. She served first as Special Adviser on the Millennium Development Goals, managing approximately $20 million for healthcare, education, and clean water for the poorest communities, and later as Special Adviser on Trade and Investment.
Her salary was modest, around $2,000 in 2011, which collapsed to $800 by 2015 due to currency devaluation. Yet she managed millions of dollars for the poor, and she did so with absolute integrity.
“Kobo, if Kobo entered my pocket let thunder strike me down. I was not interested in the poor people’s money.”
Every dollar meant for clean water went to building boreholes in schools. Every dollar for healthcare went to health centers. Every dollar for education went to schools.
Her colleagues mocked her. They saw her refusal to steal as naïveté, as not knowing “what to do with opportunity.” But Hafsat was not having a conversation with them. She was having a conversation with her ancestors, with M.K.O. and Kudirat, who could see her even if others could not. She understood, as she has said, that
“there’s no divide between life and death”
her parents’ spirits were watching, and she would not dishonor their sacrifice by betraying the people they died for.
Her governor protected her, telling her, “Hafsat, you are under my protection,” because doing things differently in Nigeria can be dangerous. But Hafsat’s example stands as a teacher to others, proof that integrity in public service is possible.
Recognition and Global Impact
Hafsat’s work has earned her recognition on both national and international stages. In 2000, the World Economic Forum named her a Global Leader of Tomorrow. In 2016, she received the Vital Voices Global Leadership Award for her public service, particularly in promoting women’s leadership. The Goi Peace Foundation honored her with their Peace Award, recognizing her commitment to non-violent democratic change. In 2019, she received the U.S. Civil Rights Museum Public Service Award.
She serves as one of 50 Councilors of the World Future Council, contributing to global sustainable development initiatives. She co-founded the China-Africa Bridge and China Africa Forum, promoting cross-cultural economic cooperation with a focus on women’s contributions. She is a Special Envoy to Africa for Women Political Leaders, a member of the BMW Foundation’s Responsible Leaders Group, and part of Vital Voices 100.
Her life story was chronicled in the documentary The Supreme Price, which powerfully captures the personal cost of political struggle and the resilience required to carry on.
Raising Superheroes
Hafsat is married and has two children: Khalil, named after Khalil Gibran who wrote The Prophet, and Shahzad (nicknamed Annabella), named after the courageous girl from A Thousand and One Nights who saved all the girls of Persia through her storytelling. Hafsat tells her children they have superpowers, just as her father told her and her sisters they were “Super Girls.” She took them to see Black Panther to show them their lineage, to prepare them for the moment when their powers would manifest. They walked out of that theater differently. She is raising them to understand that they are part of something larger than themselves, that they have a responsibility to defend the continent and its people.
The Challenge of a Name
Hafsat Abiola-Costello is not just the voice of her parents, she is their living legacy. Through her intellectual rigor, her institutional leadership, and her unwavering activism, she continues to fight for a Nigeria, an Africa, and a world where democracy, justice, and women’s leadership are not ideals but lived realities.
Her life challenges each of us: What does your name represent? What principles, beliefs, and philosophies are you upholding? Are you adding to the honor of your lineage, or are you diminishing it? The Abiola name is now synonymous with democracy, with courage, with the refusal to be silenced or bought. As long as June 12 is celebrated in Nigeria, the Abiola name will ring in the historical recollection of democracy’s trajectory in Nigeria, Africa, and the world.
Hafsat has shown us that a name is not just inherited—it is earned, again and again, through the choices we make and the stands we take. Omo tekun ba bi, Ekun nii jo—a lion’s cub resembles its parents. Hafsat Abiola-Costello is, without question, her parents’ daughter.