By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
For more than 500 women and vulnerable residents of Kogi State, this year’s World Charity Day brought more than speeches as Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo took cash, food and other support directly to people in need.
The First Lady led a charity road walk from Obasanjo Square to Government House, Lokoja, on Saturday, stopping along the route to assist elderly persons, widows, Persons Living With Disabilities (PWDs), roadside hawkers and other vulnerable residents.
The outreach formed part of activities marking the 2026 World Charity Day, with the First Lady later hosting beneficiaries and stakeholders at Government House.
Speaking at the event, Ododo said charity should not be limited to a particular day, stressing that simple acts of kindness could restore hope to people facing difficult circumstances.
Cash, Food Support for Women
Under her Homemaker Empowerment Initiative, 50 elderly women, widows and PWDs received food items and cash donations ranging from N5,000 to N100,000.
Ododo said the intervention was designed to support vulnerable people while encouraging a culture of compassion and mutual assistance across the state.
She said additional welfare packages and cash donations would be taken to orphanages and hospitals as part of the charity activities.
“Let us lend a helping hand to our neighbour. Let us support a family in need and plant hope wherever we can,” she said.
The First Lady urged traditional women leaders, wives of public office holders and women across Kogi to strengthen support networks for vulnerable families and ensure that no one is left behind.
Ododo Commends Oluremi Tinubu
Ododo commended the First Lady of Nigeria, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, for her interventions through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), describing her as the “Mother of Charity” for her support for less privileged Nigerians.
In her goodwill message, Barr. Tina Ekele of the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) said the annual September 5 observance was a reminder that acts of generosity could help reduce suffering and strengthen communities.
Ekele urged individuals and organisations to make compassion a regular part of their activities rather than treating charity as a once-a-year obligation.
The wife of the Kogi State House of Assembly Speaker, Hajia Zainab Umar, and the wife of the state Attorney-General, Hajia Karimat Abdullahi, commended Ododo for sustaining interventions targeting vulnerable women and other disadvantaged residents.
The United Nations designated the International Day of Charity to promote charitable activities and commemorate the legacy of Mother Teresa and her lifelong service to poor and vulnerable people.