Okehi, Nigeria
A Christmas outreach programme has provided food and financial support to more than 100 widows, elderly women, and people with disabilities in central Nigeria’s Kogi State. The initiative, held in the Okehi Local Government Area, aimed to ease the burden of the festive season for the community’s most vulnerable residents during a period of significant economic challenge.
Organised by Hon. Janet Samuel, a senior aide to the Governor’s wife, the event saw beneficiaries from both Christian and Muslim backgrounds receive 5kg bags of rice, cooking ingredients, and cash donations. The inclusive nature of the distribution was highlighted as a move to reinforce unity and social cohesion within the diverse community.
Relief Amid Economic Pressure
The outreach comes at a time when many Nigerian households are grappling with high food inflation. For many of the women in the Uboro, Omavie, and Ohuepe wards, the aid represents a vital lifeline for their holiday celebrations.
- Target Groups: Widows, the elderly, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
- Support Provided: Staple food items (rice and ingredients) and direct cash grants.
- Objective: To ensure “no woman is left behind” during the yuletide, aligning with the state government’s “Renewed Hope” social welfare agenda.
“This is the first time we are receiving rice in this quantity,” said Mrs. Asmau Umar, a widow and beneficiary, who described the outreach as unprecedented in the history of the community.
Political and Local Support
Hon. Janet Samuel noted that the programme was inspired by the leadership of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and his wife, Hajia Sefinat Ododo, praising their “people-centred” policies. While the event was celebratory, local leaders also used the platform to highlight ongoing needs.
Hon. Dauda Momohjimoh, a local political leader, thanked the administration for recent road projects in the area but made a formal appeal for the state to address the community’s “pressing need” for clean and potable water.
The outreach is part of a broader trend of grassroots humanitarian efforts in Nigeria aimed at bringing government presence closer to rural populations ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
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