Twenty-eight years after graduating as Head Girl of the Federal Government College (FGC), Idoani, Class of 1997, Senator Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan on Monday returned to her alma mater, unveiling a range of education and community-driven projects aimed at improving learning conditions and public safety in Idoani, Ondo State.
The senator, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, led the groundbreaking ceremony for a school auditorium and staff quarters at FGC Idoani and also commissioned solar-powered streetlights installed across major parts of the host community.
The visit, which drew school authorities, traditional rulers, students, and community stakeholders, was widely described as a symbolic homecoming that blended personal gratitude with tangible development.
The solar streetlights, facilitated through federal-level advocacy, have transformed night-time life in Idoani, improving visibility, enhancing security, and encouraging evening commercial activities. Residents say the once-dark streets now offer safer passage for students, traders, and farmers returning home after dusk.
Speaking at the event, Akpoti-Uduaghan said her decision to intervene in the community that nurtured her early leadership values was driven by gratitude, not politics.
“FGC Idoani shaped my character, instilled discipline, and laid the foundation for my leadership journey. Giving back to my alma mater is an act of appreciation,” she said.
She announced that the legacy projects, scheduled for completion next year, include a 2,000-seat auditorium, a 500-seat multipurpose hall, 10 staff quarters, 300 solar-powered streetlights, and a 50,000-litre solar-powered water system.
According to her, the facilities will address long-standing infrastructural deficits at the college, provide better learning and assembly spaces, improve staff accommodation, and enhance access to clean water for both the school and the wider community.
Community leaders lauded the intervention, describing it as rare and exemplary, particularly because the projects were initiated by a senator outside her state of representation. An elder described the visit as “a noble return of a daughter who has not forgotten her roots.”
The projects were executed through national-level partnerships rather than constituency funds, highlighting the senator’s capacity to mobilise federal resources for development beyond geographical boundaries.
For Idoani residents, the visit was more than a ceremonial reunion; it was the return of a former student whose public service continues to reflect the values of her alma mater—discipline, service, and excellence.
