By Abu Michael
In the world of World Bank projects, success is measured by three things: timely counterpart funding, strict compliance, and real impact on communities.
In Kogi State, that responsibility has a name: Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto OON, State Project Coordinator, ACRESAL.
Barr. Ladi’s journey in public service began as Special Adviser on Environment under former Governor Captain Idris Wada and later Yahaya Bello. Known for discipline, precision, and results, she quickly built a reputation as a technocrat who delivers.
Her appointment by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo as SPC ACRESAL came at the right time. In under 2 years, she has shifted Kogi’s ACRESAL from paperwork to visible, on-the-ground results.
World Bank projects rise or fall on funding, compliance, and community benefits. On all three, Kogi is scoring high.
Under Barr. Ladi’s leadership, the state has deployed erosion control structures, dryland restoration, and climate-smart agriculture across targeted communities. Women and youth are receiving direct livelihood support, while procurement and environmental safeguards meet global standards.
The impact has not gone unnoticed. In the 2024/2025 performance cycle, the National Project Coordinating Unit ranked Kogi among the top 3 performing states in the country.
“Kogi is not waiting to be pushed. Barr. Ladi understands the timelines and the politics,” a federal official noted during the last review.
In project communities, beneficiaries have a name for her: “Mama ACRESAL.”
“We are seeing tractors, seedlings, and money in the hands of our women,” one beneficiary said.
That grassroots connection, paired with technical competence, has earned Barr. Ladi the National Honour of OON, multiple Awards of Excellence, a Women in Governance Award, and several chieftaincy titles across Kogi.
Barr. Ladi Jatto OON is proof that competent women leadership delivers results. She merges World Bank’s technical demands with empathy for the people at the grassroots.
In a sector often weighed down by bureaucracy, she has become Kogi’s “thunderbolt” — fast, visible, and result-driven.
She is not just managing ACRESAL. She is redefining it. And in doing so, she is opening the door for more women to take the lead in governance.
