Bola: An Indomitable Amazon

Title: Bola: An Indomitable Amazon
Author: Udu Yakubu
Year of Publication: 2006
ISBN: 978-37601-8-1
Pages 257 + ix

Bola: An Indomitable Amazon is an elegant narration of the eventful and inspiring life and times of the Otunba Ayora, Dr. Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, who has had the unique opportunity of setting landmark records in contemporary Nigerian history. The author, Udu Yakubu, paints with flourish the varied pastels that make up the life of a woman who has been a dominant figure on the African landscape since the last quarter of the twentieth century.

Bola’s childhood experiences built up in her a resilient spirit and passion for hard work, which transformed into enviable strings of successes. By the time she reached middle age, she had acquired the reputation of a woman of steel who excelled in all she did, in spite of the harsh obstacles presented by patriarchal society. The biography captures the subject’s life extensively. It gives a detailed account of her over 30 years sterling contributions to the development of Nigeria, and several global causes.

The story reads so brilliantly and refreshingly different, and offers an insightful probe into the private and public life of Bola. Exceptional in its scope of knowledge and distinguished in its style, Bola is the outcome of painstaking research founded almost entirely on private documents and elaborate interviews that explore the subject in all its strengths and shortcomings..

What shines forth in the story is the courageous character of a woman who does not shy away from a national call to duty, even at the great risks of psychological and physical danger. This is the portrait of a woman who, tried and tested by the varied circumstances of life, still stands tall, confident, and successful in various critical endeavours.