Hajiya Maryam Ahmed Wadada Aliyu has been honoured with the prestigious traditional title of Zenariyan Toto by the Onah of Toto, Alhaji Mohammed Azaki, in recognition of her commitment to women empowerment and poverty alleviation across Nasarawa State.
The colourful ceremony, held at the palace of the Onah of Toto amid cheers and jubilation, attracted a large gathering of women, members of Hajiya Maryam’s entourage, community leaders and other traditional title holders who witnessed the conferment of the title.
Performing the ceremony, the Onah of Toto, Alhaji Mohammed Azaki, commended Hajiya Maryam Ahmed Wadada Aliyu for championing an empowerment initiative that has directly touched the lives of ordinary women and families in the local government.
The traditional ruler specifically highlighted the distribution of ₦50,000 each to 500 women in Toto, describing the intervention as a timely relief to families struggling to meet their daily needs.
He said the beneficiaries would remember the gesture for a long time, stressing that the programme had demonstrated that meaningful political leadership must be connected to the economic realities of ordinary citizens.
According to him, the empowerment programme would remain indelible in the hearts of the beneficiaries and their families, expressing confidence that the gesture would translate into strong grassroots support for Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu in the 2027 Nasarawa State governorship election.
The monarch’s endorsement added a traditional and community dimension to the growing political activities surrounding the 2027 governorship contest, as supporters at the ceremony repeatedly expressed their appreciation for the intervention.
Responding, the newly crowned Zenariyan Toto, Hajiya Maryam Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, expressed profound gratitude to the Onah of Toto and the people of the community for the honour.
She pledged to justify the confidence reposed in her by the traditional institution and promised to effectively perform the responsibilities associated with the title.
Hajiya Maryam said the empowerment programme was conceived to provide immediate economic assistance to women and encourage them to engage in small-scale businesses capable of improving household income.
She urged the people of Toto to support and vote for her husband, Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu in the 2027 governorship election, assuring them that greater opportunities for women and vulnerable families would be pursued if he emerges as governor.
She maintained that the empowerment initiative was only a beginning, expressing optimism that more far-reaching programmes would be implemented for women and other vulnerable groups under a Wadada-led administration.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of Toto Local Government Area, Pharmacist Ahmed Baba Yahaya, thanked Hajiya Maryam for the intervention, saying the ₦50,000 support would go a long way in improving the economic circumstances of the beneficiaries.
The council chairman also used the occasion to appeal to Senator Ahmed Wadada to facilitate the establishment of a commercial bank in Toto town, stressing that improved banking infrastructure would enhance commercial activities and economic development in the area.
In their goodwill messages, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gaza Gwamna and Alhaji Aliyu Suleiman Zinari, described Senator Ahmed Wadada as a credible and development-oriented candidate capable of providing effective leadership for Nasarawa State.
They urged the people of the state to carefully consider the qualities, experience and development agenda of candidates ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
For many of the beneficiaries, however, the occasion was about more than politics. Hadiza Usman and Mary John Tumaka, speaking emotionally, said they had never before received such financial assistance and prayed for God’s blessings upon Hajiya Maryam Ahmed Wadada Aliyu for remembering women at the grassroots.
Their emotional testimonies underscored the impact of direct economic interventions on families facing difficult financial circumstances, while reinforcing the message that women remain central to household survival and community development.
The event at the Toto Local Government Secretariat therefore combined traditional recognition, women empowerment and grassroots political mobilisation, with the new title of Zenariyan Toto serving as a symbol of the relationship being built between Hajiya Maryam Wadada Aliyu and the people of Toto.
As the 2027 governorship election approaches, the ceremony also provided another platform for supporters of Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu to project his candidacy and his wife’s women-focused empowerment initiatives, while the people of Toto made clear their appreciation for an intervention that has put financial support directly into the hands of hundreds of women.
The message from Toto was unmistakable: when empowerment reaches the grassroots, it creates not only economic relief but also lasting community goodwill.
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