By Suleiman Yakubu

The Managing Director of the National Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, said the commission would encourage and enhance food production in member states to ensure food security.
The managing director, who disclosed this during the meeting with the Commissioners for Agriculture of member states in his office in Minna, said the purpose of the meeting was to practicalize N-HYPPADEC ambition in ensuring that the provision of food in the HYPPADEC member states was encouraged and the efforts of the state government were enhanced.
Alhaji Sadiq Yelwa said the invitation of the representatives of the 10 HYPPADEC member states was a result of the desire of the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that food security programmes become a reality.
He said the commission was ready to align itself with the individual state programmes on food production and to see how those programmes can be encouraged, supported, and sustained.
Alhaji Abubakar Yelwa went on to say that it was the second time the commission was having that kind meeting, stressing that the first meeting was last year, as a result of which they were able to sponsor a trip to Thailand in order to witness small agricultural machinery and equipment, and part of the meeting was to discuss the outcome of those trips and see what can be done to influence the utilisation of such facilities in the states.
The managing director said the 10 HYPPADEC states have all it takes to be the leading food producers in Africa, adding that they were blessed with both the River Niger and Benue, as well as the River Kaduna, and also with abundant land mass that is very suitable for agricultural production.
He said, "We are blessed with enough human resources to fully participate in the agricultural revolution in Nigeria, and we will not allow ourselves to take the back seat; that is why we are here today.".
Alhaji Yelwa said each state has its own programme, and they were not there to replace those programmes but to support them since those programmes were for the best interest of their citizens and Nigerians at large.

By Suleiman Yakubu

Five new permanent secretaries in the state civil service have been sworn in by the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, with a call on them to justify the trust and confidence reposed in them.
The swearing-in was conducted before the weekly State Executive Council meeting at the Council Chamber of Government House, Minna.
The governor, who prayed that the new permanent secretaries succeed in the course of discharging their duties, charged them to serve for the good of humanity and in conformity with laid-down guidelines.
He then directed the Head of Service to forward their deployment letters immediately for approval.
The Chief Magistrate, Magistrate Court 1, Ummah Mohammed, administered the oath of office and allegiance to the new permanent secretaries.
The newly sworn-in Permanent Secretaries were Dr. Baba Uthman Alhaji from Agaie LGA, Umar Danlami from Rijau LGA, Rahila Iliya from Mariga LGA, James Tetengi Bake from Edati LGA, and Salihu Mohammed Alfa from Lavun LGA.
Speaking to journalists in an interview, the permanent secretaries expressed delight with the elevation and promised to give their best in serving the state and ensuring the realisation of the New Niger agenda of Farmer Governor Umaru Bago.
In another development, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, the Executive Governor of Niger State, has been nominated as one of the Leadership Newspaper Group Governors of the year 2023.
The nomination letter was presented to the governor by the Group Managing Director of Leadership Newspaper, Muazu Elazeh, who led a team of its management staff to the Council Chamber of Government House, Minna.
Mr. Elazeh explained that the governor was nominated based on his landmark initiatives on the New Niger agenda.
He described Niger State as a work in progress in terms of urban renewal and the green economy initiative under the administration of Governor Bago.
Mr. Elezah also extended a formal invitation letter for the award ceremony scheduled to take place on March 5, 2024, in Abuja.