Margaret Shonekan was born on October 28, 1940, in Gusau, British Nigeria, in present-day Zamfara State. Her parents had moved to Gusau during the late 1930s, where her father worked as a teacher for the Church Mission Society. She attended elementary school at Christ Church Anglican Primary School in Gusau and Peter's Primary School in Minna. She then attended Anglican Girl's School in Orita-Mefa, Ibadan, for one year before enrolling at Anglican Girls' Secondary School in Ilesa from 1954 until 1958. Sheonekan attended Ibadan Grammar School from January 1959 until December 1960. Shonekan enrolled at University College Ibadan from 1961 until June 1965, when she graduated with Bachelor's of Arts honors degree in history. She later obtained a post-graduate diploma in administration and management from St. Godric's College in London in 1968. Margaret Shonekan was hired as a Trainee Assistant Registrar by the West African Examinations Council on October 1, 1965. She worked for the WAEC for the majority of her professional career. Shonekan was later appointed deputy registrar of the WAEC from April 1, 1982, until September 30, 1986. In 1986, Margaret Shonekan left the WAEC upon her appointment to the Federal Civil Service Commission, which oversees the civil service, by the Federal Government of Nigeria. She served as a Federal Civil Service Commissioner from October 1, 1986 until March 31, 1994. In 1993, Shonekan's husband, Ernest Shonekan, became interim, transitional President of Nigeria. Margaret Shonekan served as First Lady of Nigeria for just 82 days from August 26, 1993, until November 17, 1993. The Shonekan's presidency was cut short when General Sani Abacha staged a coup and overthrew Shonekan on November 17, 1993. Shonekan rejoined the West African Examinations Council April 1, 1994, as its senior deputy. She was then hired as the WAEC's Head of National Office on October 30, 1995, by defeating five male colleagues who also sought the position. Shonekan served as the Head of National Office at WAEC from October 30, 1995, until her retirement on September 30, 2000. She described her time as Head of National Office as her most difficult years with the WAEC, due to the examination board's lack of adequate funding and its empty treasury at the time. She retired from the WAEC in 2000.
