By Suleiman Yakubu

As part of efforts to ensure food security and sufficiency in Niger State and Nigeria at large, experts in soil science in the state have called for soil fertility management through the use of bio-fertiliser for sustainable farming activities.
The call was made by participants at a daylong workshop on "sustainable farming and bio-fertilizer," aimed at addressing iron toxicity through organic fertiliser amendment in Niger State, organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security under its National Programme for Food Security (NPFS) with the support of the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), held in the conference room of the state Ministry of Agriculture.
In his remarks, Niger State Coordinator of AGRA, Mr. Godswill Aguyi, said the event was to brainstorm on how the soil can be used for farming sustainably in such a way that it will not damage the ecosystem and jeopardise future farming prospects.
He said that they have been working with partners to increase food production and security, as well as improve the livelihood and income of smallholder farmers through increased productivity.
He observed that Niger State has all it takes to feed the nation if all potentials are harnessed and well utilised, adding that their survey in the state has shown a decrease in production, particularly that of rice, due to the overreliance on synthetic fertiliser, which affects the soil.
While addressing the participants before declaring the workshop open, Niger State Commissioner for Agriculture, Musa Salihu Bawa, said the state has agriculture as one of its main priorities and that they were already working on going purely organic because it was environmentally friendly and healthier.
He said the green economy initiative of the present administration in the state, under the leadership of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, was in line with the AGRA crusade, adding that already the state was preparing to cultivate 10,000 hectares of land in each of the 25 local government areas of the state to ensure food security.
Similarly, the Managing Director of the Niger State Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Authority (NAMDA), Mohammed Aliyu Baba, said he was happy that AGRA was focusing on revitalising agriculture in the state through the use of bio-fertiliser and that his agency was part of the crusade.
He said that apart from improving the production of food, the regenerating part of the organic fertiliser will improve the marketability of our products, and farmers income will increase, adding that it will be a win-win situation for the state as the state is leading the crusade for a green economy.
The NAMDA boss also stressed the need for more sensitization activity and engagement with stakeholders to share the benefits of the bio-fertiliser technology with the public, expressing optimism that the state farmers will welcome the initiative.
In his message read through the project officer of NPFS, Niger Consortium, Dr. Alex Coker, and the National Project Coordinator of NPFS, Dr. Bashir Adeoye, said there were a lot of benefits in the use of bio-fertiliser in terms of environmental friendliness, nutrition, and increase in farm produce, but sadly, it was yet to be tapped in Niger State.
"We have trained 50 youths in the fabrication of bio-fertiliser equipment in the state. We also trained 40 community-based advisors and youths on soil testing with the view to guiding fertiliser recommendations," said the NPFS coordinator.
There were goodwill messages from the Niger State House Committee on Agriculture, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), the Niger State Chapter, as well as the Organic Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (OFPSAN).

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The Niger State Pension Board has assured retirees in the state of payment of their retirement benefits without delay. The Director General of the Board, Alhaji Nasiru Saidu Namaska, who made this known in a statement in Minna, said the board would not compromise the welfare of the state pensioners.
Nasir Namaska pointed out that the state government was determined to ensure that all the entitlements of the pensioners were not denied.
On the ongoing pension verification exercise, the Director General expressed satisfaction with the process, adding that the programme would be completed as scheduled and that only the pensioners who have been captured would be paid their gratuity.
He called on the pensioners to exercise patience and turn up on time while cooperating with the officials handling the exercise for successful verification.
Alhaji Nasiru Namaska commended Governor Umaru Bago for prioritising the welfare of pensioners in the state by ensuring that what was due to them was not denied.