One of the leading empowerment societies in Nigeria, Adashe Women Housing, has handed over 100 newly-built housing units to widows in Rigachikun, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, representing a major humanitarian intervention to improve the living conditions of the widows and orphans.
The initiative, conceived and driven by the Founder and CEO of Adashe Women Housing, Dr. Umma Sani, was made possible through the land she provided and partnerships with the Family Homes Fund, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Ministry of Women Affairs and NASEINI.
The houses were commissioned on Monday at a ceremony that attracted distinguished personalities including Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and his Housing and Urban Development counterpart , Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, while the project was celebrated as a model for uplifting the vulnerable groups, especially widows and indigent orphans.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sani said, “The whole project is focused on sustainability and climate resilience. That’s why you want to design a temperature inside much lower than the temperature you find outside. So, that is going to reduce their energy costs while in occupation.
“An innovative, self-sustaining, climate-smart homes, 100-unit homes are being delivered for women, 100 of them, but most people say 100 widows. Widows are leaders of communities, they support families.
“So, 100 families in a collaborative and cooperative manner. This, as you have heard, is a collaborative endeavor.”
Also speaking, Atiku Bagudu praised Adashe Women Empowerment Society’s holistic approach, saying there is the need to commend the group’s futuristic approach to decent accommodation and reliable means of livelihood.
He said, “Let me appreciate Dr. Umma Sani and her team at the Adashe Women Empowerment Society. You didn’t stop at building houses, you built futures. By combining housing with training, small businesses support, and livelihoods, you have created a model that goes beyond shelter. You have given those women the tools to design on their own feet.”
In his own speech at the ceremony, Housing and Urban Development Minister Musa Dangiwa highlighted the direct impact of the 100 houses on the widows, saying the development will confer lasting benefits on the widows.
He said, “Now, this is a group of widows, the organization, the NGO, takes care of the needs of widows. So, they are indeed the ones that we have partnered to give out these houses to. So, we have 100 units that we are commissioning today, and we’re excited to begin this process, which is a pilot in Kaduna.”
For Dr. Umma Sani, the moment marked the fulfilment of her long-held dream, saying that, “It all started as a dream, before it becomes hope, and then now Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has made me to see the great day that I’m going to touch the lives of 100 widows.
“As growing up as an orphan, the first challenge I face, it is home, it is shelter, and that is why when I see the opportunity, I said I am going to help the widows, through the widows to help the orphans.”
The Chairman of Family Homes Fund Limited, Mr. Ademola Adebesi, described the event as symbolic, saying that, “It symbolizes renewed hope and restored dignity, particularly for 100 resilient women empowered through this initiative. It also reflects our shared vision of inclusive growth, where affordable housing becomes a foundation for economic participation and improved quality of life.”
According to him, the project demonstrates a new model of social housing delivery in Nigeria—one that blends homeownership with skills development, livelihood support, and climate-friendly construction.
The former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, also commended the initiative of Adashe Women Housing, saying that, “It is a symbol of hope, dignity, and empowerment. Each of these homes represents stability for a family that has endured hardship, a safe place where mothers can raise their children, rebuild their lives, and look to the future with renewed confidence.
“In Kaduna State, we believe that development must be inclusive and that our women, especially widows and single mothers, will be at the center of our social transformation agenda.”
Two officials of Adache Women Housing Hauwa Adamu Sani and Yairima Rabi Muhammad, expressed gratitude to Dr. Umma Sani and the Kaduna State Governor for the houses and remarkable intervention on the lives of the widows.
They said, “It always comes from a dream and now it becomes hope and now everybody can see the reality. We have the government that collaborates with us to build houses for the widows. You can see that the widows are very happy and now the orphans are going to be raised in a serene and secure estate.”