By Suleiman Yakubu

There was wild jubilation yesterday in the Minna National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp when the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago, announced lavish gifts to 2024 batch B, stream one corps members, including the construction of a N5 billion new orientation camp. 
Among the largesse was a N200,000 gift to each of the 1,301 corps members, one trailer load of rice, and 20 cows to be delivered to the camp for the corps three-week orientation exercise. 
The governor said his gesture was to demonstrate that Niger was an agrarian state that could feed the nation. 
The visibly ecstatic governor also announced automatic employment for all medical and health graduates in the state civil service and called on the youths to key into his agriculture for wealth initiative. He described agriculture as a rich venture that brings prosperity, which was why the state government was investing heavily in the sector.
Governor Bago announced this when he declared open the 2024 NYSC Orientation Course for Batch B, stream one, at the NYSC temporary camp in Paiko.
"Farming is a rich business. To give you N5b to build a new camp is through agriculture; to give you N200,000 each as a token is through agriculture; to give you a trailer load of rice is through agriculture; and to give you 20 heads of cattle is through agriculture. It means there's prosperity in  agriculture," Governor Bago announced enthusiastically. 
He told the youth that Niger State was poised to feed the nation and revealed that the state had already cleared over 1 million hectares of land and promised more lands would be cleared. He said the state had entered into partnerships with many high-profile organisations and assured them that embracing farming would pay them more money than civil service work. 
While reassuring that the government will ensure the security and well-being of the Corps members, the governor used the medium to call on them to work for a better future for themselves and the country, adding that his administration will support anyone who is willing to engage in farming through Niger Foods Limited.
Minister for Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, disclosed that the federal government has announced a groundbreaking initiative to empower at least 5,000 NYSC members with N10 million each for entrepreneurial ventures upon completion of their service year.
Dr. Bio Ibrahim also said her ministry was launching the National Youth Skills Programme (NYSP) this month with the aim of training over one million young Nigerians across diverse fields such as technology, agriculture, and many other fields, as it will offer them a remarkable opportunity to prepare them for a successful career.
She said the government was committed to introducing significant reforms designed to make the NYSC experience a period of national service and an avenue to gain valuable skills and knowledge. 
The Minister further revealed that the restructured Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) will start accepting applications this month following dedicated efforts to simplify the application process and enable more young entrepreneurs to access financial support for their innovative ideas. 
Secretary to the State Government and Chairman of the Niger State NYSC Governing Board, Alh. Abubakar Usman, in his remarks, called on the Corps members to be patriotic, disciplined, and cautious of the cultures and traditions of their host communities as they embark on their crucial role of nation-building, as well as use the NYSC platform to generate positive ideas for development.

By Suleiman Yakubu

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has expressed deep sadness over the death of the wife of the Deputy Governor, Hajiya Zainab Garba.
In a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, the governor described the death of the wife of his deputy as a great loss to the state.
He said it was devastating news and a trying moment not only for the deputy governor but for the government and the entire people of the state.
The governor, while commiserating with his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, over the loss, encouraged him to see the demise of his wife as an act of Allah and be consoled by the fact that the deceased lived a good life.
He said the State Executive Council shares in his loss and will provide every needed support at this moment of grief.
The farmer governor then prayed to Allah to forgive all the shortcomings of the deceased and grant her Aljanna Firdausi.
He also prayed that Allah would comfort his family and all Nigerlites.