Dr. Hadiza Ladi Kwali, featured on the Nigerian twenty Naira note, was a talented potter born in 1925 in Kwali, Gwari region of Northern Nigeria. Despite having no formal education, she honed her skills in pottery, which was a common occupation among women in her region.
Her exceptional work gained recognition in Europe, Britain, and America, and in the late 1950s and early 1960s, her pieces were displayed at the Berkeley Galleries in London. Dr. Kwali's contributions helped to sustain the Pottery Centre, and her pottery was showcased during Nigeria's independence celebrations in 1960.
In 1963, she was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) and later received an honorary degree from Ahmadu Bello University in 1977. Dr. Kwali's exceptional talent and achievements were further recognized in 1980 when she was awarded the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA), the highest national honor for academic achievement.
Despite her passing in 1984 at the age of 59, Dr. Kwali remains Nigeria's best-known potter and a significant figure in Nigeria's history. Her legacy continues, as the Cardew Pottery in Abuja was renamed the Ladi Kwali Pottery in her honor, and a major street in Abuja bears her name
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