OUR PROJECT COORDINATOR
Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto was born in 1976 in Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria. Ladi, an indigene of Okene LGA, Kogi State, had her early education at the Federal Government College, Azare, Bauchi State. Upon completion, she enrolled at the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where she bagged both her Law Diploma and Law Degree (LL.B) in 1995 and 2004, respectively. She then proceeded to the Kano Campus of the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2005.
After her call to the Nigerian Bar, Jatto began her career with Legacy Pension Managers (now known as FCMB Pensions) in 2006, where, her tenacity as a pioneer staff in the Business Development Department, gave rise to a massive on-boarding of clients to the new retirement savings policy especially in the Northern part of Nigeria, thus engendering an unprecedented growth rate in the institution.
Having contributed immensely to the success and growth of the organization, she made her exit in 2009 to set up her Legal Firm, L.S. Jatto and Co. in Abuja.
In her drive for mastery and growth, Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto obtained her MBA in Human Resource from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in September, 2021, and has also attended several executive management programmes on Leadership, Sustainability, and Management in leading institutions such as the University of Cambridge and the University of Ibadan Business School. She also participated in the Harvard Arc of Change Transformational Leadership Summit (2023); Training on Application of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing Technology in Integrated Catchment Management for Sustainable Agriculture in Semi-Arid Landscapes, FGN/World Bank/China South-South Knowledge Exchange Programme on Watershed Management and Gully Restoration; Climate Smart Agriculture; Surface Water Runoff Management in Urban Areas; and Application of Geospatial Technologies in China.
Relentless in her pursuit of knowledge, she is currently working on a Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy (MIAD) at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Jatto is not only an ardent lawyer, but is also an impassioned environmentalist who has devoted her existence to combating environmental ills and piloting impactful initiatives. It is in light of this that she launched the Green Hamper in 2010, to drive and encourage environmentally friendly choices and products.
Ladi Jatto, as she is sometimes called, is a distinguished and invaluable member of several associations such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the International Bar Association (IBA), and the Institute of Public Diplomacy and Management, of which she is a Fellow. It is upon these platforms, and several others, that she continues to make phenomenal contributions to society. She is also an Ambassador of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) following her participation in the Multi-sector Rapid Assessment Training (MIRA) Programme.
A legal practitioner with substantial experience in regulatory compliance, litigation management, governance, and intellectual property matters, Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto was appointed Special Adviser to the Kogi State Governor on Multilateral and Donor Agencies; a position she held from July 2019 to June 2022.
She also served as the Special Adviser to the Kogi State Governor on Environment and Physical Development (2012-2015) during which time she initiated several environmental friendly projects, and successfully facilitated the unprecedented visit of Baroness Valerie Amos, the then United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator to Kogi State in 2013, thus making Kogi State the only northern state to be visited by the Under-Secretary during her first visit to Nigeria. This historic visit led to a present partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Kogi State in various spheres.
In November 2015, her demonstrable love for sustainable environmental protection, led to her appointment as the Project Coordinator, Kogi State Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (KGS-NEWMAP), a position she held until June 2022. In this time, she coordinated and oversaw several intervention works at selected gully sites in the State aimed at reducing vulnerability to gully erosion in targeted sub-watersheds, as well as to prevent and reverse land degradation in Kogi State. These interventions brought succour in no small measure to the residents of the affected communities.
Ladi is currently the Project Coordinator, Kogi State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project. The Project aims to increase the implementation of sustainable landscape management practices in targeted watersheds in northern Nigeria and Strengthen Nigeria’s long-term enabling environment for integrated climate-resilient landscape management.
Barr. Ladi’s notable contributions have made her a worthy recipient of the prestigious National Honour of “Officer, Order of the Niger (OON)” by His Excellency, General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd.), former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as several other awards, certificates and other commendations. Some of which are:
- 2023 Most Distinguished Political Office Holder in Kogi State – Stewardship Global News Limited
- The Most Distinguished Woman Personality of the Year in Kogi State – Stewardship Global News Limited [November 2021].
- Award of Excellence for Outstanding Performance in Engineering Work in Kogi State – Kogi State Association of Women Engineers (APWEN) [October 2021].
- Ambassador of Ethics and Global Citizen of Conscience Award – Centre for Ethics and Self Value Orientation [July 2020]; and
- World Bank Nigeria: FY19 Portfolio Performance Awards – Celebrating Portfolio Achievements for Kogi State NEWMAP (Best Performing State – North Central) [Aug. 2019].
Additionally, being the only female Project Coordinator under the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), she remained exceptional and her distinctiveness was rewarded with multiple accolades and recognitions by the World Bank, individuals, and other organizations.
Despite her immersive and engaging schedule, Ladi Ahmed Jatto still has a heart for philanthropy, and an insatiable passion for the empowerment of widows and the repressed; and this has strongly endeared her to all. She strives daily to touch lives positively, and hopes to remain a source of succour to those in need.
The undeniable fact remains that Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto is a legal bigwig, an astute Administrator, sterling Project Manager, an excellent Human Resource Manager, and an Environmental Amazon.