14/09/2026
FATIMA BAGO TAKES ₦100M GRASSROOTS EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME TO EDATI
14 SEPTEMBER, 2026
The Wife of the Niger State Governor, Her Excellency Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Bago, has extended her grassroots economic empowerment drive to Edati Local Government Area with a ₦100 million intervention aimed at strengthening businesses and improving the livelihoods of residents across the council’s ten wards.
The empowerment programme, held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Enagi Primary School, represents another step in the First Lady’s efforts to bring economic opportunities closer to communities and provide residents with practical support to improve their sources of income.
Under the initiative, each of the ten wards in Edati Local Government Area received an allocation of ₦10 million, with beneficiaries receiving ₦100,000 each to enable them to expand existing businesses, establish new enterprises or improve their means of livelihood.
The benefiting wards are Enagi, Guzzan, Rokota, Etsu Tasha, Sakpe, Gbangban, Fazhi, Gonagi, Gazhe 1 and Gazhe 2.
The intervention, according to the organisers, is not merely about providing financial assistance but also about encouraging economic independence and creating a foundation for sustainable livelihoods among beneficiaries and their families.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Bago urged them to treat the funds as an opportunity for long-term economic growth, rather than temporary relief. She encouraged them to invest wisely, strengthen their businesses, embrace innovation and identify new opportunities that could increase their income.
She further emphasised that the lasting impact of the programme would depend largely on the responsible management and productive use of the funds by those who received them.
The event brought together government representatives, traditional and community leaders, stakeholders and beneficiaries from different parts of Edati Local Government Area.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Edati Local Government Council commended the First Lady for taking the empowerment initiative to the grassroots, describing the intervention as a welcome development for residents of the area.
Also speaking, former Commissioner for Transport, Hajiya Ramatu Yaradua, said the programme was designed to be broad-based and inclusive, stressing that its benefits were intended for residents regardless of political affiliation.
She explained that the focus of the intervention was to empower people with the resources needed to strengthen their economic activities, improve household incomes and contribute more meaningfully to the development of their communities.
The occasion was also enlivened by Gwape and other traditional cultural performances, which provided an opportunity to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Edati Local Government Area.
Beneficiaries expressed gratitude to Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Bago for the intervention, describing the financial support as timely and potentially transformative for their businesses and livelihoods.
The Edati programme forms part of the First Lady’s wider grassroots empowerment agenda, through which similar interventions are expected to reach residents in other Local Government Areas, particularly within Zone A, as the initiative expands.
The programme reflects Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Bago’s stated commitment to an inclusive approach to economic empowerment, with emphasis on putting resources directly in the hands of residents, strengthening families, promoting self-reliance and supporting the development of resilient communities across Niger State.
