By Suleiman Yakubu

The Executive Chairman of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), Muhammad Baba Ibrahim, said that with the agricultural partnership between the board and Niger Foods Ltd., a new chapter in the lives of teachers in the state has been opened. 
The chairman disclosed this during an interview with journalists shortly after the signing of a tripartite agreement between the board, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, and Niger Foods Ltd. on the engagement of teachers in farming and other agricultural support services.  
He revealed that there were about 25,000 teachers across the state, including about 3,000 administrators, and most of them have already indicated interest in the initiative.
The NSUBEB boss said the initiative will increase food production, add value to teachers, and reduce the cost of feeding students.
He said each interested teacher will be allocated four hectares of land, and about 120,000 hectares of farmland will be cultivated for massive food production. He said the initiative will change the lives of teachers and shoot them up to the middle class. 
Chairman of Niger Foods, Mr. Sammy Adigun, signed on behalf of the state government, while Executive Chairman of NSUBEB, Muhammad Baba Ibrahim, signed on behalf of the board, and Chairman of NUT Niger State Chapter, Adamu Akayago, signed on behalf of the union. 
The agreement will see Niger Foods supply farm inputs and other implements to interested teachers who will engage in crop production.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago said the era of poverty is gone and commended the teachers for going into partnership and assured them of continuous support while calling on other groups and associations to key into his agricultural revolution.
He said the initiative will also foster prosperity among stakeholders in the education sector, adding that houses and health centres will be built for the teachers, which will also bring fortune to the younger generation.
Chairman of Niger Foods, Mr. Sammy Adigun, said varieties of farm inputs and implements will be provided to the benefiting teachers, with each farmer given packs of sprayer, herbicide, and insecticide.
The governor also inspected the Niger Foods Tractors' assembly plant, where he expressed satisfaction with what he saw on the ground, adding that similar assembly plants will be established in all 25 local government areas of the state.
He was also at one of the Niger Foods warehouses, where he said investment in agriculture was already yielding positive results.

By Suleiman Yakubu

The Niger State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has unequivocally stated that its members will not participate in the planned nationwide economic hardship protest proposed by unknown groups in the country.
Comrade Idrees Abdulkareem Lafene, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), made this declaration during an interview with Newsline Labour correspondent at his office in the Labour House, Minna. According to Comrade Lafene, there is no justification for union members to engage in protests, as such actions will not provide solutions to the current economic challenges. He emphasized that the planned protest was not initiated by the NLC leadership.
Comrade Lafene clarified that Organized Labour does not participate in protests. Instead, it calls on people to join labour-related activities that directly impact the well-being of Nigerian workers, such as national minimum wage negotiations. Given this stance, there is no basis for Organized Labour in the state to join the proposed protest scheduled for the first week of August 2024. Furthermore, the NLC is unaware of the groups behind the protest, making participation unnecessary.
Regarding the pressing issues affecting Nigerians and contributing to economic hardship, Comrade Lafene urged President Bola Tinubu to take urgent action. Specifically, he called for the repair of the nation's refineries and a reduction in electricity costs. The current high monthly electricity bills are burdensome for Nigerians, and addressing this issue is crucial.
Comrade Lafene also addressed the delay in refunding the 7.5 percent contribution pension scheme to some civil servants in the state. He attributed the delay to abbreviation errors in various bank accounts or doubts raised by individuals who failed to provide necessary information to the state pension board for timely submission to Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).