Nigerian Victoria Obaze makes history as the first black female Civic Mayor in UK

A Nigerian named Victoria Obaze has made history by becoming the first black female Civic Mayor in the United Kingdom.

After contesting and failing in three previous councillorship elections in 2010, 2014 and 2016, she eventually succeeded in an election conducted on May 5, 2018, in Whitechapel Ward.

Following a unanimous nomination by her Councillor Colleagues, she was elected as the Mayor of London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Obaze was sworn into office on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. She is the first black woman to occupy this position.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) obtained a statement from the UK Chapter Coordinator of a Nigerian socio-cultural group in the UK, Ms Blessing Chijekwu, which offered details of her life.

"For Councillor (Cllr) Obaze life is all about service to humanity with diligence. Her political experience started when she was elected as one of the board of directors to oversee the regeneration of her area, the Ocean Estate, in the 1980s. The move motivated her to get into politics having noticed that there were no black women in the council chambers and this led her to open a project named Healthy Life Style for Stepney Women, East London."

"The project was funded by local authority through Ocean African Caribbean Association which she and her late husband Chief Evangelist Charles Obaze, co-founded. She also established Ocean Saturday School aimed at ensuring school attainment for children, as well as Ocean Football Club through which young boys were able to have residential football experiences with Chelsea Football Club, " it read.

The news agency reports that Obaze holds degrees in Business Administration and Community Sector Management from the West London College and Metropolitan University.

She is said to have a certification in childcare. Reportedly, she has four children and two grandchildren.

She is the third Nigerian to become a Mayor in the UK in recent times.

The first two - Mr Ernest Ezeajughi and Mrs Kate Anorue - were recently sworn into office as Mayors of London Borough of Brent and Enfield, respectively.

Nigerian Victoria Obaze makes history as the first black female Civic Mayor in the UK

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