Senator Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan, born December 9, 1979, in Ilorin, Kwara State, is a Nigerian lawyer, social entrepreneur, and politician representing Kogi Central Senatorial District since November 2, 2023.

 

As the first female senator from Kogi State, elected under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), she made history after the Court of Appeal declared her the rightful winner of the 2023 election, overturning Abubakar Ohere’s initial victory.

 

Born to a Nigerian father, Dr. Jimoh Abdul Akpoti, and a Ukrainian mother, Ludmila Kravchenko, she grew up in Ihima, Kogi. After losing her father in 1998, she studied law at the University of Abuja (2000–2004), was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2005, and earned a PGD in Petroleum Law and an MBA from the University of Dundee.

 

Founder of the Builders Hub Impact Investment Program, she advocated for the revival of Ajaokuta Steel Mill, earning a 2017 Nigerian Society of Engineers award. Married to Emmanuel Uduaghan since 2022, she has four children.