Queen Amina of Zaria (16th century) was a ruthless warrior queen of Hausa, North Africa. She was the first woman to become the Sarauniya (queen) in a male-dominated society. From young age, she chose to spend her time honing her military skills. Her military prowess and her performance in battle were so fierce that she commanded an army of 20,000 men. She led the cavalry through an ongoing campaign and waged battles continuously throughout the course of her sovereignty. Some historians credited Amina with originating the Hausa practice of building the military camps behind fortress walls. These walls were not only a political statement of wealth and power but also of a military strategic. During her 34 years of reign, she continued to fight and expanded the territory of Hausa people to its largest borders in history. The expansion of the Zaria made it a trading center, guarantying the prosperity of her kingdom. She improved the wealth and power of her kingdom with gold, slaves and new crops. Her people were skilled metal workers; Amina introduced metal armors including helmets and chain mail to her army. She is remembered till date as one of the African Women who changed the world. The modern state of Nigeria has erected a statue of her in the center of Lagos.
