A 16-year-old girl has turned a personal desire to help vulnerable children into a completed orphanage project in Okene, Kogi State.

Nadia Zakaria, daughter of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has built, furnished and handed over a new residential facility to Oyiza-Salem Divine Orphanage Home in Etahi Community, Okene Local Government Area.

Nadia began the project at 15 and raised funds through donations and support from family, friends and members of the public. The completed facility was formally inaugurated in the presence of community members, religious leaders, children and other well-wishers.

Speaking at the ceremony, Nadia said growing up in a supportive home made her think about children who had not enjoyed similar opportunities. She said the project started as an idea to give children without parental care a safe environment where they could feel valued and pursue their ambitions.

She admitted that raising enough money initially appeared difficult because of her age and lack of experience with projects of such scale. But contributions from people who believed in the idea eventually enabled her to construct and furnish the home.

Nadia urged other young Nigerians not to assume that humanitarian work must wait until they are older or wealthy. She said the experience had taught her that meaningful change could begin with a decision to care and take action.

Her mother, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, said she did not financially support the construction, stressing that Nadia sourced the funds independently. She also disclosed that her daughter was developing plans for another humanitarian project aimed at providing better care for pregnant women in Kogi Central.

Pastor Kizito Adomu Zuberu, founder of Oyiza-Salem Divine Orphanage Home, said the new facility had transformed the living conditions of the children. He recalled that when Nadia first visited, some of the children were sleeping on the floor.

Zuberu said the home currently supports children at different stages of education, including two who have proceeded to university. Others are in primary school or learning vocational skills, including tailoring. He said the new building would improve their welfare, safety and development.

The handover has been welcomed by the orphanage and members of the community, who described the project as an example of youth-led philanthropy. For Nadia, what began as a teenager’s idea has now become a permanent home for children in need of care and support.