The daughter of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Nadia Zakaria, has built, equipped and handed over an orphanage home in Etahi Community, Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The newly constructed facility was commissioned on Sunday amid celebrations by community members, religious leaders, children and other well-wishers, according to a statement issued on Monday by Natasha’s media aide, Mike Idoko.
The orphanage, initiated by 16-year-old Nadia when she was 15, was funded through donations and support mobilised from her family, friends and members of the public. The project was handed over to the management of Oyiza-Salem Divine Orphanage Home, which described it as a significant intervention that would provide shelter, dignity and a better environment for the vulnerable children under its care.
Speaking at the commissioning, Nadia said the project was born out of a desire to help children who had not enjoyed the same opportunities she had growing up. She recalled that the idea began about a year earlier as a simple wish to do something meaningful for children who, through no fault of theirs, had missed out on privileges many take for granted, saying that growing up in a loving, supported home made her reflect on children who never got that same chance and whether they too deserved to feel safe and cared for.
She admitted that raising the funds initially felt like an impossible task given her age and inexperience, but said she decided to try anyway. With support from family, friends and even strangers, she said enough money was raised not just to construct the home but to fully furnish it, turning what began as an idea into an actual home for the children.
Nadia encouraged young Nigerians to embrace humanitarian causes regardless of their age or financial standing, and expressed gratitude to everyone who donated, spread the word or believed in the project.
Also speaking at the event, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan clarified that she made no financial contribution to the project, stressing that her daughter independently sourced all the funds used for the construction. She disclosed that Nadia was already working on a new initiative — a fully equipped care home for pregnant women in Kogi Central — and commended her daughter for showing that young people can make meaningful societal contributions when driven by compassion and determination.
Earlier at the event, the Founder of Oyiza-Salem Divine Orphanage Home, Pastor Kisito Zuberu, recounted the difficult conditions the children previously lived under, noting that they had been sleeping on bare ground before Nadia stepped in to provide what is now a fully equipped facility. He said the orphanage had continued supporting the children’s education and development despite ongoing financial challenges.
The institution noted that the new facility offers more than shelter, providing the children a safer, more dignified environment in which to live and continue their education.
