By Abiola Olawale
Minister of State for Agriculture, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi has felicitated with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago on winning the Leadership Newspaper ‘Governor of the Year’ award for 2023.
Abdullahi who stated this in a press statement he signed on Saturday and made available to The New Diplomat, said that the award is a testament to Bago’s achievements within nine months in office.
The New Diplomat reports that since Bago assumed office as the executive governor of Niger state, he has brought revolutionary initiatives, which have brought about the desired change on industrialization, human capital development, and agricultural revival, earning him the nickname of ‘the farmer Governor’.
The minister in the statement said Bago’s dedication to harnessing Niger State’s natural endowments for revolutionary agricultural production is commendable at a time the country is grappling with several economic challenges.
The statement reads in part:“You are truly living your conviction by walking your talk, Like many Nigerlites, I am excited about your commitment to harnessing the immense natural endowments of Niger State, to boost agricultural production in dimensions that can only be revolutionary.
“When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security, he directed that 500,000 hectares of arable land be brought under cultivation country-wide. But Your Excellency has responded to that clarion call by taking practical and visible steps to bring at least one million hectares of fertile land into agricultural production in Niger State. As a vindication, hundreds of high-capacity tractors and harvesters, ordered by the state government, have been delivered along with complementary implements that will boost mechanization and other sustainable agronomic practices”
He added: “The Leadership Newspapers award is a motivator for Your Excellency to keep your eyes on the ball, as you strive methodically to alter the governance narrative of Niger State. Not surprisingly, a day after the Awards Ceremony, you flew into Lagos, to ink a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with your brother Governor of Lagos State. The MOU, Produce-For-Lagos Initiative, is a strategic long-term partnership agreement between Niger and Lagos states, that guarantees Lagos as an off-taker of a range of agricultural produce from Niger State.
“All well-meaning Nigerlites are in support of your efforts, and the great expectation is that things can only get better for Niger State.”
