Maryam Shetty is a Nigerian physiotherapist, social entrepreneur, and political activist from Kano State. Her real name is Maryam Shettima Ibrahim. She was born on 8 April 1979. Maryam Shetty is best known for her 2023 nomination as a ministerial candidate under President Bola Tinubu and for founding the #WeBelieve movement.
Who Is Maryam Shetty?
Maryam Shetty is a Nigerian political and social activist, a qualified physiotherapist, and a social entrepreneur from Kano State. She is the granddaughter of the late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero. As of her nomination in 2023, she was single and had not yet married.
What Is Maryam Shetty’s Real Name?
Maryam Shetty’s real name is Maryam Shettima Ibrahim. She is also referred to in Nigerian media as Maryam Shettima. “Shetty” functions as her popular nickname, distinct from her legal surname.
When and Where Was Maryam Shetty Born?
Maryam Shetty was born on 8 April 1979 in Kano State, Nigeria. Her early education took place entirely in Kano. She is Hausa by tribe and originates from a prominent Kano family with royal lineage on her mother’s side.
What Is Maryam Shetty’s Educational Background?
Maryam Shetty holds 2 degrees in the field of physiotherapy. She studied Physiotherapy at Bayero University, where she graduated with distinction in her BSc degree, despite having the academic results to study Medicine instead. She proceeded to the University of East London, Stratford, in the United Kingdom, where she pursued her Master’s Degree in Sports Physiotherapy.
What Is Maryam Shetty’s Career in Physiotherapy?
Maryam Shetty built a career as a sports physiotherapist before entering politics. Her expertise was in high demand, and she became a valued member of the medical team during the London Olympics. Among the elite athletes she worked with was sprinting legend Usain Bolt of Jamaica.
This clinical background distinguishes Maryam Shetty from many political figures in Nigeria, whose public profiles are typically built on legal, business, or bureaucratic careers rather than medical practice.
What Is the #WeBelieve Movement Founded by Maryam Shetty?
The #WeBelieve movement is a national unity initiative founded by Maryam Shetty. It is an independent, non-governmental initiative aimed at promoting national rebirth based on active citizenship.
The movement’s core principles centre on 3 ideas.
- National identity above ethnic, religious, and political affiliation
- Rejection of tribal distrust and religious bigotry
- Active citizenship among young, independent-minded Nigerian professionals
The movement’s ideology emphasizes Nigerians identifying as Nigerians first, beyond ethnic, religious, and political affiliations.
What Was Maryam Shetty’s Role in the APC and Tinubu Campaign?
Maryam Shetty served as an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain ahead of the 2023 Nigerian general election. Her contributions to the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council were significant, and she played a role in the selection process of the APC Presidential Candidate.
She was later recognised as the woman leader of the APC, a position reflecting her standing within the party’s internal structure following the campaign.
Was Maryam Shetty Nominated as a Minister?
Yes. Maryam Shetty was nominated as a ministerial candidate by President Bola Tinubu in August 2023. President Tinubu forwarded her name to the Senate as a ministerial nominee from Kano State.
The nomination generated significant public reaction across Nigeria. Her name drew the most animated response from the second ministerial list sent to the Senate, as she was seen as an outsider to the established political camps typically associated with ministerial appointments.
Why Was Maryam Shetty’s Ministerial Nomination Withdrawn?
Maryam Shetty’s ministerial nomination was withdrawn by President Tinubu shortly after it was submitted to the Senate. APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje later stated that he facilitated the removal of her name from the nomination list.
Despite the withdrawal, Maryam Shetty continued to be widely discussed in Nigerian media and public conversation following the announcement. She has not held a federal ministerial office as a result of the withdrawal.
What Honours Has Maryam Shetty Received?
Maryam Shetty has received formal recognition for her leadership and community development work. She received an Honorary Degree from the ESGT University of Technology in Benin Republic, in recognition of her contributions to leadership and community development.
What Is Maryam Shetty’s Family Background?
Maryam Shetty comes from a prominent Kano family with direct royal lineage. She is the granddaughter of the late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero. Lamido Sanusi, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, is her uncle.
Her family connections were widely discussed in Nigerian political commentary as a possible factor behind her initial ministerial nomination, though this explanation was never officially confirmed.
What Is Maryam Shetty Doing Now?
Following the withdrawal of her ministerial nomination, Maryam Shetty has continued her advocacy work through the #WeBelieve movement and remains active in Nigerian civic discourse. She continues to be referenced in Nigerian media coverage discussing APC internal politics and youth engagement in governance.
Maryam Shetty’s public profile rests on 3 pillars: her clinical physiotherapy background, her political activism through the APC, and her national unity advocacy through #WeBelieve.