By Suleiman Yakubu

The National Power Producing Areas Development Commission HYPPADEC, will soon commenced its operation in four additional states of the country.
The Managing Director of the commission Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, stated this at a one day meeting held at the headquarters of the commission in Minna on Sustainable Agriculture, Food output and the use of modern technologies.
He said that the expected new states which its operations will kick start the activities were Kaduna, Gombe, Taraba and Nassara statea as well as North Hydroelectric producing areas.
Alhaji Sadiq Yelwa, said that the 10 existing member states of the commission will only operate in a selected communities that were visibly affected by the presence of the dams or the presence of water bodies.
Speaking further he said that in the six existing pioneer states, the commission will operate in about 1,800 communities spread accross 55 local government areas of the country, while for the new members states, work was in progress on how to identify the communities in which the operations of the commission will cover.
He disclosed that in 2021 when the commission commenced operations, one of its cardinal focus was promoting agriculture in power producing areas, adding that the only way to reverse the growing trend of food security was through sustainable agriculture.
According to him, the commission under his management, has launched a fertilizer subsidization programme to promote agricultural out-put through the use of modern fertilizers with the view to assist farmers, whom he said constituted the majority of the population in the power producing areas.
He observed that farmers in these areas were facing lots of challenges in accessing efficient and affordable fertilizers, which the commission has to intervene by making quality fertilizers available to the farmers at cheaper rate.
He said that in 2022, the commission has part of its intervention, distributed about 50,000 bags of fertilizers to thousands of farmers accross the six pioneer states, while in 2023 farming season, 42,000 bags of fertilizers were equally distributed to the farmers, in which each of the 1,800 communities benefited, while before the end of this year, the new four states will start feeling the impact after completing asssement and survey of the affected communities.
Highlights of the occasion was a lecture delivered by Prof. Abdullahi Mohammed Ibrahim of Ahmadu Bello University Zaira and Dr. Haruna Ibrahim of Federal University of Technology Minna.

By Suleiman Yakubu

Niger State Governor, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, has commiserated with the people of Agwara Local Government Area of the state and the government of Kebbi State over the boat incident that has claimed 22 lives.
In a condolence message made available to newsmen by his Chief Press Secretary, Mal. Bologi Ibrahim, the governor, described the incident as unfortunate.
He urged the affected families to accept the incident as the will of God.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed and that God would comfort the people of the entire Emirate.
Governor Umaru Bago equally extended his heartfelt condolences to the Kebbi State Government, particularly Yauri Emirate, over the deaths of its citizens in the same boat mishap.
A boat carrying over 20 traders, heading to Yauri fish market from Kasabo, Agwara Local Government of Niger State, was reported to have capsized recently.
So far, six dead bodies have been recovered, of which four were from Niger State and two were from Kebbi State.
The search is said to be ongoing by local divers and boat owners under the supervision of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA).