In 1985, she married Mallam Nasir El-Rufai whom she met in 1976 at the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
[5] In 2017, El-Rufai published An Abundance of Scorpions (Ouida Books),[6] a novel inspired by volunteer work the author did at an orphanage in Abuja, and her desire to write about an orphan.
[8] The work has been described by Helon Habila as "a heartbreaking tale of loss and an uplifting story of a woman's strength and determination".
[11][12] The literary nonprofit was fully launched in 2017[13][14] with the aims of nurturing creativity in children, "particularly the girl child, between the ages of eight and 19" and young/adult women, providing them "resources with teachers and the books that they need to enhance their literacy.
[17][18][19] In April 2020, El-Rufai, had responded on twitter to a comment about her son using language with a threat of sexual violence against a critic during an argument on the social network[20] with "Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.