Aissata Issoufou Mahamadou is a Nigerien

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

chemical engineer A chemical engineer is a professional equipped with the knowledge of chemistry and other basic sciences who works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of Product (chemistry), products and deals with ...

, mining specialist, and healthcare advocate who served as First Lady of the

Republic of Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state bordered by Libya to the north-east, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the south-west, Mali to the we ...

from 7 April 2011 to 2 April 2021. She is the first wife of former

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Mahamadou Issoufou Mahamadou Issoufou (born 1 January 1952) is a Nigerien politician who served as the president of Niger from 7 April 2011 to 2 April 2021. Issoufou was the prime minister of Niger from 1993 to 1994, president of the National Assembly from 1995 to ...

and shared the title of First Lady with Issoufou's second wife,

Lalla Malika Issoufou Lalla Malika Issoufou (born 14 February 1975) is a Nigerien medical doctor and patron of many charities. She served as First Lady of Niger, alongside Aïssata Issoufou Mahamadou, from 7 April 2011 to 2 April 2021 as the second wife of President M ...

. Issoufou Mahamadou is president of the Guri-Vie Meilleure Foundation.

Biography

Issoufou was born in

Mainé-Soroa Mainé-Soroa (''Maine-Soroa'', ''Maïné-Soroa'') is a town in southeastern Niger, the capital of the Mainé-Soroa Department, and is in turn part of Diffa Region. The town's population was 78,735 at the 2012 census. Economy Situated in an agrop ...

, a town in the

Diffa Region Diffa is one of the seven regions of Niger, and is located in the southeast of the country. The capital of the region is Diffa. Geography Diffa Region is situated in the extreme southeast of Niger between 10° 30’ and 15° 35’ longitude E ...

Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...

. She attended elementary school in Mainé-Soroa and an all girls high school in

Niamey Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. As the Niamey Urban Community (, CUN), it is a Regions of Niger, first-level division of Niger, surrounded by the Tillabéri Region, in the western part of the country. Niamey lies on the Nige ...

. Aïssata Issoufou Mahamadou was one of the first Nigerien women to pursue a career in the sciences. She received a degree in mineral exploration and development from the

École nationale supérieure de géologie The École Nationale Supérieure de Géologie (; "National Superior School of Geology"; abbr. ENSG) is a French grande école, located in Nancy, Eastern France, part of the University of Lorraine. History The ENSG was created as Institut de Geo ...

(''National School of Geology'') in Nancy,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. She then earned her

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

from the

University of Niamey Abdou Moumouni University (French: ''Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey'', ''UAM''), formerly the University of Niamey from 1974 to 1994, is a public university based in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The main campus is situated on the right bank ...

, which is now known as

Abdou Moumouni University Abdou Moumouni University (French: ''Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey'', ''UAM''), formerly the University of Niamey from 1974 to 1994, is a public university based in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The main campus is situated on the right bank ...

. Issoufou Mahamadou headed the mineralogy division of SOMAIR, the national mining company of Niger and a

subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...

Areva Areva S.A. was a French multinational group specializing in nuclear power, active between 2001 and 2018. It was headquartered in Courbevoie, France. Before its 2016 corporate restructuring, Areva was majority-owned by the French state through t ...

. Issoufou Mahamadou has described herself as an admirer of American

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

leaders

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

and

Coretta Scott King Coretta Scott King ( Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his assassination in 1968. As an advocate for African-Ameri ...

. On May 19, 2012, Aïssata Issoufou Mahamadou visited

The King Center The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, commonly known as The King Center, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia. History The King Center was founded in 1968 by Coretta Scott Kin ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

and met with its CEO, Bernice King, of part of her trip to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, where she was seeking support to alleviate poverty and lack of healthcare in Niger. Issoufou Mahamadou presented King with a plaque containing crucifix symbols crafted by the

Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym, depending on variety: ''Imuhaɣ'', ''Imušaɣ'', ''Imašeɣăn'' or ''Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group, traditionally nomadic pastoralists, who principally inhabit th ...

people. In March 2018, First Lady Aïssata Issoufou and the Ministry of Health partnered with the Merck Foundation, the charitable foundation of the Merck & Co. pharmaceutical company, to increase access to healthcare in Niger. The partnership between Issoufou and Merck, which was announced on

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...

, focused on

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's Etymology, etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγ ...

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

, and

fertility Fertility in colloquial terms refers the ability to have offspring. In demographic contexts, fertility refers to the actual production of offspring, rather than the physical capability to reproduce, which is termed fecundity. The fertility rate ...

services and training in Niger. The foundation also named Issoufou Mahamadou as an Ambassador of its "Merck More than a Mother" campaign, which aims to break social stigmas against

infertility In biology, infertility is the inability of a male and female organism to Sexual reproduction, reproduce. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy organism that has reached sexual maturity, so children who have not undergone puberty, whi ...

and childless women. The First Lady hosted the Miss Intellect Niger awards to mark

in March 2019.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Issoufou Mahamadou, Aissate Date of birth unknown Living people First ladies of Niger Nigerien chemists Nigerien activists Nigerien women activists Nigerien health activists Women chemical engineers Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism politicians People from Diffa Region Abdou Moumouni University alumni Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century women engineers 21st-century scientists 21st-century Nigerien women engineers 21st-century Nigerien engineers