Ndi Kato

Ndi Kato
Born	Ndi Benedicta Kato October, 1989 Zaria, Kaduna State
Citizenship	Nigerian
Alma mater	University of Jos
Organization	Dinidari Foundation
Known for	Political activism

Ndi Benedicta Kato, (born October 1989) is a Nigerian political activist, communications professional and civil-society leader. She is founder and executive director of the Dinidari Foundation (also rendered Dinidari Empowerment Foundation), and has held leadership roles in the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) and played an activist role in the End SARS protests of 2020.

Background

Ndi Kato was born in Zaria, Kaduna and hails from Kafanchan, Southern Kaduna. She studied Mass Communication at the University of Jos.

Political Career & Activism

In 2019, Kato sought the nomination of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Kaduna State House of Assembly (Jema’a Constituency) ^[1] and, in 2022 was named spokesperson for the Labour Party (Nigeria) campaign of presidential candidate Peter Obi for the 2023 Nigerian general election. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

‎Within the Middle Belt Forum, she has served as Deputy National Publicity Secretary and Director of Public Communication, helping articulate the regional agenda of the Forum, advocating for justice, equity and inclusion for those communities. ^[5]

In October 2020, Kato publicly joined the End SARS movement, which protested police brutality and the operations of the Special Anti‑Robbery Squad (SARS) in Nigeria. She framed the protest as youth-driven and unapologetically inclusive of young women. ^{[6] [7] [8]} Kato publicly endorsed Nigeria’s proposed Reserved Seats for Women Bill, describing it as "urgent and a matter of justice". ^[9]

Dinidari Foundation

In 2016, Kato founded the Dinidari Foundation, dedicated to increasing women’s and youth participation in politics and leadership across Nigeria’s Middle Belt region. The foundation also engages in empowerment, rural development and conflict-sensitive programming. ^{[10] [11]} In November 2021, the Dinidari Foundation partnered with National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to end Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Nigeria. ^[12] In partnership with UN Women and the Norwegian Embassy, Kato's Dinidari Foundation identified equal participation and leadership of Women in political and public life as a key component to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) by 2030. ^[13]

Reference

1. Nigeria, Guardian (2019-04-23). "Ndi Kato dumps PDP". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
2. https://www.legit.ng/politics/1497751-2023-6-spokespersons-obidatti-presidential-campaign/
3. TVCNews (2023-02-06). "Peter Obi experienced enough to be Nigeria's next President-Ndi Kato". Trending News. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
4. https://businessday.ng/interview/article/volunteerism-is-at-the-core-of-obi-datti-campaign-council-long-list-ndi-kato/?amp
5. Amos (2019-07-20). "At symposium for young leaders, stakeholders harp on effective policy implementation". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
6. Busari, Stephanie (2020-10-11). "Nigeria dissolves controversial police unit accused of brutality". CNN. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
7. "Nigeria: Is SARS gone or is it being rebranded?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
8. "End Sars protests: The Nigerian women leading the fight for change". 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
9. Pai, Bilkisu Halilu (2025-09-29). "Reserved Seats Bill Is Justice, Not Favour - Kato". Voice of Nigeria Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
10. "Rejecting the Expected: A Conversation with Executive Director of Dinidari Foundation, Ndi Kato". documentwomen.com. 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
11. www.premiumtimesng.com https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/493760-women-only-make-news-headlines-as-victims-ndi-kato.html . Retrieved 2025-10-21.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
12. www.premiumtimesng.com https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/495893-dinidari-africa-partners-nhrc-on-sgbv-response-in-nigeria.html?tztc=1 . Retrieved 2025-10-21.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
13. "Foundation Releases Report on Women's Political Participation in Nigeria". 28 February 2023.