Ladi Alexandria Shehu was a determined advocate for women's education, political participation, and social empowerment in Nigeria. As an educator, she played a pivotal role in advancing girls' education in Northern Nigeria. She taught at several institutions, including Government Girls' College, Sokoto, and became the founding principal of Government Girls' Secondary School, Talata Mafara.

In journalism and broadcasting, she used her platform to challenge societal norms. She wrote the women's page for The Nigerian Citizen newspaper, advocating for female education and public participation, and produced radio programmes for women and children on NBC and RTK.

Her activism extended into politics. As the national general secretary of the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) women’s wing, she championed women's rights and famously argued for voting rights for Northern women before the Willink Commission on Minority Groups in Nigeria in 1957.