Priye Iyalla-Amadi: The woman who fought law preventing issuance of passport to married women without husband’s consent

On June 1, 2009, the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, delivered a judgement that addressed a major institutional discrimination against Nigerian women.

Before then, married women were compelled to provide written consent from their husbands before they were issued the Nigerian passport. Although this is not contained in the Nigerian constitution, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the government agency responsible for the issuance of passports, claimed it is in line wit...