By Suleiman Yakubu

The Niger State Government has signed a $144 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development to finance four priority projects in various socio-economic sectors in the state.
The MoU was signed at the ECOWAS Investment Forum held in Lome, the capital city of Togo.
The Commissioner for Finance, Lawal Adamu Maikano, and the Chairman, Niger Foods, Sammy Adigun, signed for the Niger State Government, while the Vice President of Operations, ECOWAS Bank of Development and Investment, Dr. Olagunju Olalekan, the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, George Agyekum Donkor, as well as the Vice President of Risks and Control, Dr. Mory Soumahoro, all signed for the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development.
According to the MoU, projects to be financed include the construction of the Madalla-Suleja-Maje dual carriage road for $30 million, the construction of the Madalla Green Economic Market for $11 million, and the conversion of the old Secretariat Minna to the School of Medical and Health Sciences for S40 million. Others are the construction of eight international trailer parks in Mokwa, Tafa, Lambatta, Bida, Makera, Dikko, Tegina, and Kontagora at a cost of $43 million.
The agreement, according to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Niger State, Mal. Bologi Ibrahim, would not only complement the ongoing infrastructural transformation in the state but would also create new windows for investments and job opportunities for the teeming youth population.
The ECOWAS Bank of Investment and Development was established to promote the cooperation and economic development of West African countries. It currently comprises fifteen (15) member states, including Nigeria.

By Suleiman Yakubu

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Major-General Adamu Garba Laka, a Nigerlite, as the new National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre.
The governor assured the president that the desired objectives of appointing him would be achieved owing to the commitment, selflessness, and proficiency of the Army officer. He further described the appointment as a worthy one.
He acknowledged that to effectively and adequately address terrorism in Nigeria, the right people with the right knowledge and vast experience were needed in the right positions.
In a statement made available to newsmen by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, the governor called on the new anti-terror chief to see his elevation as an opportunity to serve humanity and the nation and to continue to make the state and Nigeria proud.
He then assured him of his maximum support to succeed.
Recall that President Tinubu recently appointed Major-General Garba Laka as the new National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, under the office of the National Security Adviser, to judiciously and effectively use his vast experience to provide proactive and diligent coordination of counter-terrorism activities and to eliminate security threats in Nigeria.
Major-General Garba Laka has served in various positions and capacities, particularly in the North-East of Nigeria, where he deployed tactical means to degrade terrorist groups, and also in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the United Nations.
He was also part of the Nigerian contingent in the US AFRICOM exercise in Senegal.
The Military Officer holds a Master’s Degree in National Security from the National Defence University, Pakistan, and in International Affairs and Strategic Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy.