By Sam Israel JP
It was a carnival of gratitude, excitement and political solidarity in Lafia and Nasarawa Eggon on Wednesday as more than 1,000 women received ₦50,000 each under the Hajiya Maryam Ahmed Wadada Aliyu Women Empowerment Programme.
The empowerment train, which has been moving across Nasarawa State, arrived in the state capital with a message of economic support and appreciation for women, particularly those who have continued to identify with the political aspirations of Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu.
Addressing the enthusiastic beneficiaries at the Lafia Local Government Secretariat and the Nasarawa Eggon neighbourhood market, Hajiya Maryam said the gesture was designed not only to assist women economically but also to appreciate them for their support during the APC governorship primary that produced her husband as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 election.
She urged the beneficiaries to resist the temptation to consume the money, advising them instead to invest it in small-scale businesses that could generate income and improve the economic circumstances of their families.
According to her, the empowerment programme reflects her conviction that women remain central to the economic survival of households and the development of communities.
Hajiya Maryam also appealed to the women to sustain their support for Senator Wadada, promising that his emergence as governor would usher in more regular empowerment initiatives targeted at reducing poverty across the state.
She expressed optimism that with sustained intervention and purposeful governance, poverty could be drastically reduced in Nasarawa State.
The Lafia event attracted a large gathering of women, political leaders, community members and party supporters, while the atmosphere in Nasarawa Eggon was equally charged with excitement as beneficiaries queued to receive the cash assistance.
Speaking at the occasions, the Deputy Chairman of Lafia Local Government, the wife of the Commissioner for Local Government, Hajiya Zainab Maifata, the APC North Central Women leader, the State APC Women Leader and the Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Chairman commended Hajiya Maryam for embarking on what they described as an unprecedented statewide intervention.
They praised her for taking the empowerment campaign directly to women at the grassroots, particularly vulnerable women who, they said, often struggle to access government and institutional support.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Idi Dansauka, urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the money, describing the gesture as one of the most significant women-focused interventions witnessed in the state.
Dansauka further used the occasion to appeal to the women to vote massively for APC candidates in the 2027 general elections, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu for governor of Nasarawa State.
The political undertone of the gatherings was unmistakable, as speakers repeatedly called for solidarity with the APC and the candidacy of Senator Wadada.
But beyond the speeches, the most striking scenes came when the women began receiving their ₦50,000 grants.
Traditional drummers provided a lively soundtrack as beneficiaries filed forward one after another to collect the money. Some danced with excitement, while others openly expressed their appreciation for the initiative.
For many of the women, the intervention represented more than cash—it was an opportunity to restart or expand small businesses, support household needs and improve their economic independence.
With the Southern Senatorial Zone now covered by the empowerment train, attention is shifting to the Northern Senatorial Zone, where women in Wamba and Akwanga are expected to be the next beneficiaries.
The statewide initiative has consequently become both an economic intervention and a major grassroots political mobilisation, bringing Hajiya Maryam Wadada face-to-face with thousands of women across Nasarawa ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Israel is the Senior Special Assistant SSA on media to Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu.
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