By Suleiman Yakubu

The wife of the Governor of Niger State, Hajiya Fatima Umar Bago, has urged women to embrace entrepreneurship skills in order to empower themselves and be self-reliant.
Hajiya Fatima Bago stated this while addressing participants at the 2024 International Women's Day Celebration, held at the women's centre in Minna on Friday.
She said the day was an avenue to celebrate themselves, noting that women have so much dedication in them that whatever they set out to do, they do it with so much passion.
The first lady, who did not hide her happiness over the women's day celebration, observed that involving women by the state governor in his administration was a very good strategy for achieving the New Niger Agenda.
She added that from the business exhibition she witnessed, she had observed that women have a lot of skills that can uplift their economic status, promising that she will work on incorporating women's entrepreneurship into her pet project.
The First Lady also disclosed that since the inception of the present administration under the leadership of Farmer Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, women have been carried along and will continue to be carried along, urging the women to keep enduring and persevering as the sky will be their limit, even as she appreciated the Governor for the recognition given to women in his government.
In her remarks also, the state commissioner for women affairs and social development, Hajiya Titi Auta, said women in Niger State have every reason to celebrate because the present administration has carried them along.
She said apart from appointments into various political offices, the state government, through her ministry, has been doing a lot to empower women economically and improve their lot through training and business linkages.
The Commissioner also appreciated the First Lady and the Farmer Governor for his passion for women, which was evidenced in his appointment of women into political offices, assuring that the women appointees would use their appointments to complement the Governor's efforts towards the realisation of the New Niger Agenda.
Highlights of the celebration were a walk from the famous Mobil Roundabout through Ƙetaren-Gwari to the Women Centre complex at the Old Secretariat, Minna, as well as a business exhibition and interaction between the women entrepreneurs and the First Lady.  
This year's celebration has the theme "Count Her In: Accelerating Gender Equality Through Economic Empowerment."

By Suleiman Yakubu

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago was decorated as the Grand Patron of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Niger State Council Thursday at Government House, Minna.
The investiture was performed by NUJ President Chris Isiguzo, who also presented him with a certificate and said the honour was in recognition of his exemplary leadership qualities.
Governor Umaru Bago, in his remarks, described the role of journalism as vital to the development of any society, adding that journalists have helped in shaping democracy in Nigeria through their reportage.
He said that, as the fourth estate of the realm, journalists should carry out their duties as watchdogs of society and ensure objectivity in their reports.
He called for the censorship of social media content to checkmate the spread of fake news and hate speeches.
The governor appreciated the union for finding him worthy of the award and honour, pointing out that it has set a benchmark for him to do more and that his administration will not rest on its oars until the state is transformed.
The leader of the delegation and NUJ National President Dr. Chris Isiguzo said the conferment on the governor was because of his transformative and developmental strides in the areas of infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, good governance, and education, among others.
The NUJ president commended the farmer governor for the established cordial relationship between his government and journalists and called for continuous collaboration that will advance the profession for the benefit of the state.
Also speaking, the NUJ Chairman, Niger State Council, Comrade Abu Nmodu, said they were at the government house to also strengthen the synergy with the state government.