NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
Agriculture

Traders association, consortium empower smallholder farmers in Niger

195 total views today

 

By Rita Iliya

The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) says it three-year agricultural intervention project in Niger has empowered 367,000 smallholder farmers.

 

Dr Ken Ukaoha, National President of NANTS, said on Saturday that the project, implemented under the AGRA/Niger State consortium, surpassed its initial target of 350,000 farmers.

 

According to him, the project is to improve the farmers resilience and upscaling productivity, income and means of livelihood in rice, maize, soybean, cowpea and vegetable value chains.

 

Dr Ken Ukaoha, National President of NANTS, described the project as a huge success, with smallholder farmers gaining access to profitable markets, leading to higher incomes and improved bargaining power.

 

He said key achievements of the project was the establishment of 2,000 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to provide financial services to farmers.

 

Others, he said, was the training of over 124,000 out of the farmers on improved agricultural practices, post-harvest handling, and marketing.

 

Ukaoha said 203,000 smallholders farmers were integrated into supply chains and secured long-term deals with processors and agro-dealers.

 

Ukaoha recommended the use of digital technology to track commodities and improve market access as well as provide more financing options for VSLAs and smallholder farmers.

 

Mr Godswill Agwuyi, Programme Officer of AGRA, said the workshop was designed to gather feedback from VSLA groups on the project’s impact and to identify areas for future support.

 

“We want to hear from the VSLA groups on what worked well, what didn’t, and what they think we should focus on in the future,” he said.

 

He advised the VSLA groups to find ways to come together, communicate, and share information, ideas, and insights to sustain the project’s gains.

 

Christy Adamu, a beneficiary from Paiko, said the project provided them with Point of Sale (POS) machines.

 

“We used to travel all the way to Minna to deposit our savings and give loans to our members, but with the POS machines, we can now do everything easily and quickly,” she said.

 

She added that the project had enabled her association to save more money by making the process easier and more efficient.

 

Another beneficiary, Mrs Naomi Tsado, from Victory Poultry Farming Cooperative Society, said her cooperative benefited from the training on business development services, VSLA, and conflict resolution.

 

“We also received a grinding machine, which has been generating income for our cooperative and empowered us economically.

 

“We plan to use the income to purchase additional machines, which will add value to our income,” she said. (NAN)

Edited by Joe Idika

General News

First Lady empowers 500 women in Niger

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By Rita Iliya

The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday empowered 500 women with items such as refrigerators, gas cookers, electric generators, and industrial grinding machines in Niger.

 

Speaking at the ceremony in Bida, Tinubu said the programme was designed to equip women with necessary tools and resources to build successful businesses and contribute to national prosperity.

 

Tinubu, represented by Hajiya Fatima Bago, Wife of Niger Governor, said the programme was in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).

 

She explained that the empowerment programme aimed to benefit 18,500 women across the six geopolitical zones.

 

She said the programme aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu of inclusivity, economic growth, and sustainable development for all Nigerians, particularly women’s economic empowerment.

 

She urged beneficiaries to use the items judiciously to start or grow their businesses, adding that the items were meant to serve as a foundation for creating better lives for them and their families.

 

In her remarks, Mrs Elizabeth Shaba, Commissioner for Small and Medium Enterprise, advised beneficiaries not to sell the items.

 

She commended the courage, bravery, and caring nature of Mrs Tinubu and the wife of Niger governor which has positively impacted the lives of many in the state.

 

Some of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the gesture, saying the items would improve their means of livelihoods and help them become self-reliant. (NAN)

Edited by Joe Idika

Education

Niger Govt. invests N1bn on special needs education

247 total views today

 

By Rita Iliya

Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger says the state will invest N1 billion on the provision of education for children with special needs.

 

Bago announced this during the inauguration of Resources, Inclusivity and Strategic Communication (RISE) project on Wednesday in Minna.

 

It is organised by Farid Centre in collaboration with MacArthur Foundation and the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD).

 

The governor said that the state government was partnering with Farid Centre to establish a pilot scheme of Schools for Special Needs in four public schools in Minna.

 

He said the pilot schools would be at IBB Primary School, Bosso Primary School, School for Children with Special Needs and Dutsen Kura Primary School.

 

Bago also announced a donation of N50 million to the centre and another N25 million each for the four pilot schools.

 

The governor said the N1 billion would be used to establish the pilot schemes across the 25 local government areas as part of efforts to scale up the special needs education project.

 

He commended Farid Centre for coming up with the initiative aimed at attending to the needs of people with disabilities and special needs as well as making education free, accessible and inclusive.

 

Earlier in her address, Hajiya Jummai Gimba, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Farid Centre, said the initiative was aimed at integrating children with special needs into inclusive learning environments.

 

She noted that Niger ranks among the top 15 worst states in Nigeria for the problem of out-of-school children, with a staggering 57.1 per cent of children lacking access to education.

 

“At the Farid Centre, we believe that the true measure of a society’s progress is how well it includes and uplifts its most vulnerable populations,” she said.

 

Gimba expressed gratitude to MacArthur Foundation and partners at JONAPWD for their support, saying the project was about building an educational framework that recognises diversity as a strength and inclusion as a necessity.

 

In her remarks, Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to promoting inclusive education for children with special needs.

 

She stressed the importance of integrating children with special needs into mainstream classrooms because of its benefits of social integration, academic performance, teacher skills and community building.

 

Mohamed called on educators, community leaders and advocates to work collaboratively to ensure that every child has access to quality education and the opportunity to thrive alongside their peers.

 

In their separate remarks Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, Etsu of Nupe and Dr Umar Farouk, Emir of Minna, commended the initiative aimed at increasing enrollment of children, especially those with special needs, in schools.(NAN)

Edited by Francis Onyeukwu/Maureen Atuonwu

Health

Niger Governor’s wife launches free medical outreach

184 total views today

 

By Rita Iliya

The Wife of Niger Governor, Hajiya Fatima Bago, has launched a free medical outreach in the Edati community as part of efforts to improve healthcare access across the state.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-day initiative is a collaboration between her office and the Graceland Healthcare Development Foundation, Kaduna.

 

The governor’s wife, during the launch on Friday said the initiative would provide free surgeries, 1,000 reading glasses, medical consultations, essential medications, and health education to community members.

 

She lauded the foundation for its noble effort, emphasising that the outreach would greatly enhance healthcare services for Niger’s people.

 

The governor’s wife highlighted the importance of looking after one another, stating “Giving back is not just about wealth, it’s about compassion and using whatever we have to uplift those around us.”

 

She also expressed gratitude to her husband, Umaru Bago, for his efforts in transforming the state’s healthcare sector and encouraged the Edati community to take full advantage of the initiative.

 

She reiterated her commitment to supporting and expanding similar programmes across the state.

 

Dr Ibrahim Dangana, Commissioner for Primary Health, assured that the ministry would provide the necessary resources to deliver quality healthcare to the people of Edati.

 

Dangana was represented by Dr Gana Mohammed, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Tertiary Health.

 

Dr Ibrahim Mohammed, Project Coordinator for the foundation, explained that the outreach aimed to perform 200 surgeries targeting various health conditions such as hernia, appendicitis, ganglion, utero-vaginal prolapse, goitres, fibroids, hydrocele, and undescended testicles.

 

He said the outreach would also offer services for hypertension, diabetes, ulcers, malaria, typhoid, and deworming, with a special focus on women and children.

 

NAN also reports that the medical intervention is expected to benefit more than 1,000 people in Edati and the surrounding areas.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Agriculture

Niger urges farmers to insure farms against disasters

301 total views today

By Rita Iliya
Niger Government on Wednesday advised farmers to insure their farms against disasters, following recent floods that devastated farmlands in the state.

Alhaji Musa Bawa-Bosso, Commissioner for Agriculture in Niger, gave the advise during an on-the-spot assessment of farms affected by flood in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state.

Bawa-Bosso represented by Dr Mathew Ahmed, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said insuring farms against disasters would provide farmers with financial protection and support during times of crisis.

“Disasters such as floods, droughts, and pests can have devastating effects on farms, leading to significant losses for farmers just like it has happened.

“By insuring their farms, farmers can receive financial compensation for their losses, which would help them to recover quickly and continue farming,” he said.

He attributed the flood to excess water from Kainji and Jebba dams, associated with climate change.

He assured the farmers that the flood would recede within five days and that extension agents would collect data on affected farmers for possible government intervention.

Bawa-Bosso disclosed that the state government plans to link affected farmers with the Hydro Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) for further intervention.

Also speaking, Alhaji Mohammed Baba,  Managing Director of Niger State Agricultural Mechanisation Development Authority (NAMDA), advised farmers in the state to key into the Niger Foods Project.

Baba explained that the project allows farmers to access inputs on credit and repay at harvest, thereby boosting their production.

Earlier, Alhaji Mahmudu Usman, ‘Etsu yankpa’ of Kusogi village, disclosed that the flood had destroyed about 300,000 hectares of rice farms worth billions of Naira.

Usman stated that the disaster had affected indigenous and non-indigenous farmers in more than 25 villages under Kede Community in Mokwa Local Government Area.

He appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the farmers, as their livelihood depends on the farms.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that floodwaters, allegedly from Kainji and Jebba dams, have inundated numerous farmlands in at least ten communities, causing widespread destruction.(NAN)
Edited by Fatima Sule Abdullahi/ Isaac Ukpoju

Health

NAFDAC inaugurates consumer club in Niger schools

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By Rita Iliya
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has inaugurated its Consumer Safety Club (NCSC) in secondary schools in Niger.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, said the inauguration of the club was part of the agency’s catch-them-young initiative.

Adeyeye, who inaugurated the NCSC at Maryam Babangida Girls Science College in Minna on Wednesday, said it aimed at sensitising students on the dangers of illicit drugs.

Represented by Mr James Kigbu, the Coordinator of NAFDAC in Niger, the director-general disclosed that 14.4 per cent or 14.3 million Nigerians were victims of drug abuse.

She described the situation as “alarming” and highlighted the need for collective action to address the issue.

“This epidemic of drug, including alcohol abuse was destroying families, the workforce, and destabilising our economy,” she said.

She noted that the catch-them-young initiative was designed to reduce the prevalence of drug abuse among secondary school students.

She explained that the programme would focus on educating students about the dangers of drug abuse and the importance of making informed decisions.

Adeyeye also emphasised the role of teachers in the fight against drug abuse, urging them to work with parents and guardians to identify and address behavioural problems in students.

The director-general further noted that NAFDAC’s mission was to mould a future generation empowered to be upright and to demand uprightness from others.

Adeyeye encouraged students to resist peer pressure, abstain from drug abuse, and seek professional help when needed.

She urged the students to develop hobbies, concentrate on their studies, and be content with what they have.

The director-general urged the students to leverage their membership of the NCSC to assist in information flow on NAFDAC regulatory activities and promote the fight against drug abuse.

In her remarks, Hajiya Amina Attahiru, Principal of the school, commended NAFDAC for its initiative to educate students on the dangers of illicit drugs.

Attahiru, represented by Mrs Florence Jacob, Vice Principal, urged the students to take the opportunity seriously and learn about the dangers of illicit drugs.

Maryam Masaga, Coordinator of the NCSC in Niger, thanked the school management for honouring and giving the agency the opportunity to carry out the sensitisation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured presentations on the role of young people in the prevention of substance/drug abuse and the role of NAFDAC NCSC in safeguarding the health of the nation. (NAN)
Edited by Fatima Sule Abdullahi/ Isaac Ukpoju

Foreign

ECOWAS pledges continuous engagement with Mali, B/Faso, Niger after exit

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By Mark Longyen

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it will continue to engage with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, in spite of their formal withdrawal from the bloc on Wednesday.

Dr Omar Touray, the President of the commission, made this known at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

Touray said that this was in line with the decision of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, which was taken during their Summit on Dec.15, 2024 in Abuja.

According to him, such is also in the spirit of regional solidarity and in the interest of the people.

He noted that the bloc was still open to the three countries’ return.

He disclosed that two of the existing Sahel countries had already officially contacted the commission for further engagements to that effect.

Touray called on all relevant authorities within and outside ECOWAS member states to take note of the unfolding development.

He urged them to treat the national passports and identity cards bearing ECOWAS logo held by the citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger as still valid, until further notice.

Touray also urged them to treat goods and services coming from the three countries in accordance with the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and investment policy.

He said citizens of the three countries would be allowed to continue enjoying the rights of visa free movement, residence and establishment, in accordance with extant ECOWAS protocols, until further notice.

Touray further said the commission would continue to provide full support and cooperation to ECOWAS officials who are citizens of the three countries in the course of their assignments for the Community.

“These arrangements will be in place until the full determination of the modalities of our future engagement with the three countries by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

“The Commission has set up a structure to facilitate discussions on these modalities with each of the three countries.

“This message is necessary to avoid confusion and disruption in the lives and businesses of our people during this transition period,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three Sahel countries had on Jan. 29, 2024, declared their intention to quit ECOWAS within 12 months in line with the provisions of Article 91 of the bloc’s protocol.

The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government had in December 2024, approved the three countries’ right to quit but said ECOWAS doors were still open to their return to the subregional bloc.

It would be recalled that the Sahel states had hitherto been hit by violent extremism and terrorism orchestrated by marauding Islamist jihadists emanating mostly from North Africa and the Middle-East.

Notably, this was one of the reasons that the rebelling military rulers gave for seizing power earlier in the their countries.

They accused ECOWAS leaders of being too aligned with Western powers, especially France, at the detriment of their own countries.

The trio said their decision to exit the bloc was also in protest against ECOWAS’ hardline position over the coups in their countries, the imposition of sanctions, as well as the threat of military invasion.

The putschists are now aligned with Russia to fight the armed jihadists, who are currently orchestrating terrorism against their countries.

They have therefore severed all preexisting Western military alliances and presence in their countries.

The military rulers had seized power following a series of coups between 2020 and 2023.

ECOWAS initially responded by imposing sanctions against them, demanding a quick restoration of civilian rule, and threatening to use military force, before backing down.

To demonstrate that they were prepared to match their words with actions, the three countries later went on to sign a tripartite defence treaty and a new confederation – the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), as an alternative to ECOWAS.

They have now made real their “irrevocable” decision to quit ECOWAS, exactly one year after declaring their intention to quit the bloc.

This has become a reality, in spite of ECOWAS leaders’ lifting of some of the sanctions imposed earlier and the deployment of germane diplomatic efforts to enable them to rescind their threat to exit.(NAN)

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Health

Niger, GAVI, UNICEF celebrate PHC partnership

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By Rita Iliya

Niger government, in collaboration with Global Alliance Initiative (GAVI) and UNICEF, has celebrated the close-out of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening the state’s primary healthcare system.

Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger disclosed this when he received officials from GAVI and UNICEF during a courtesy visit as part of activities for close out of GAVI supported primary healthcare system strengthening in Minna on Tuesday.

Bago expressed gratitude to partners for supporting the state’s primary healthcare initiative, aimed at promoting healthcare services and child birth registration.

He disclosed that the partnership received seed money of about N6 million dollars, which the state government matched with an additional N1 million dollars.

He revealed that the state was working towards a more developed system, where tele-medicine services would be provided across primary healthcare centres.

“This will enable partners to assist from a distance, especially in areas where manpower is scarce.

“The state government also plan to deploy tele-medicine facilities across all primary healthcare centres, provide internet services, and build doctors’ accommodations to house medical personnel within the facilities,” he said.

Bago disclosed that in the next six months, the state plans to launch a drone vaccine delivery project to reach hard-to-reach areas, leveraging technology to bridge the gap.

According to him, with tele-medicine, doctors will be able to diagnose patients remotely, and nurses at the stations can dispense medication accordingly.

In his remarks, Dr Shyam Pathak, Chief of Health, UNICEF, acknowledged the governor’s achievements in recruiting 1,500 new health staff, retaining 400 health staff and procuring medical equipment.

He said that this has provided access to quality health services for vulnerable populations.

He also commended the contributions of traditional and religious institutions toward strengthening the primary healthcare system.

Pathak advocated for increased investment, oversight, and improvement in sustaining the project, retaining health workers, maintaining equipment, and sustaining the mechanism of operation of services and data documentation.

He also solicited support to reach children and households displaced by insecurity, as well as nomadic and pastoral populations, with health services such as immunisation, birth registration, education, nutrition, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

He noted that UNICEF supports human growth and development of every child through multi-sector programming along with health.

Also speaking, Dr Ibrahim Sesay, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF, commended Niger government for its commitment to birth registration, saying the state had made significant progress in registering children under five years.

Sesay stated that the MOU between Niger government and the UN system had yielded positive results, with over 400,000 children registered in 2024, exceeding the 100 per cent target.

“This achievement is due to the leadership style of the governor and the commitment of the Commissioner of Health, National Population Commission, and other stakeholders,” he said.

Sesay also announced that UNICEF would integrate services to issue national identification numbers to registered children, enabling the tracking of unimmunised children and identifying gaps in the system.

Similarly, Dr Alex Chimbaru, WHO representative, commended the governor for his commitment to ensuring the project’s success, adding that there had been a decrease in maternal and infant mortality rates.

Chimbaru attributed the success to the governor’s commitment and the community’s hard work, emphasising that sustainability was crucial to maintaining the progress made.

Chimbaru urged the state government to continue monitoring its indicators and indices to ensure that the progress made was sustained.

In his remarks, Dr Ibrahim Dangana, Commissioner for Primary Healthcare in Niger, disclosed that the programme had made tremendous progress in reducing maternal and infant mortalities in the state. (NAN)
RIS/IS

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Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Agriculture , Food Security

IFAD-VCDP made us landlords, millionaires— Niger beneficiaries

336 total views today

By Felicia Imohimi

Some beneficiaries of the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) in Niger say they have become millionaires and landlords through the scheme.

The farmers in Ezhigi community, Edati Local Government Area, spoke on the sidelines of media tour of FG/IFAD-VCDP project in some communities in Niger.

They said their income, livelihood and children’s educational standard had improved through the intervention of the dry season farming programme.

Mr Jubril Haruna, rice farmer and processor, said that prior to the intervention of IFAD-VCDP in 2020, he relied on his father for survival- both feeding and accommodation.

He said they were trained on good agronomical practices, how to prepare nursery bed, transplanting and proper application of fertiliser.

Haruna said they were provided with tiller machines, subsidised fertilisers, solar powered irrigation pumping machines, among others.

He said that initially, they only farmed during rainy season which was one season annually and in small scale which was unsustainable.

Haruna said at the moment, they could farm all year round in large scale, had enhanced income and build brick houses instead of mud.

He said that at the moment, he was able to build a standard house with bricks, set up a processing facility, raised his children’s educational standard and became a millionaire through the intervention.

“IFAD-VCDP provided us with solar panel water pump as against fuel pumping machine we were using initially.

“I bought additional three panels to enhance my irrigation farming which is the sustainable means of agriculture.

“The programme also provided us with improved seedlings Faro 44 which is more profitable than the former ones we were cultivating traditionally.

“Through this improved seedlings, we do realise 80 bags to 100 bags of 100kg per hectares as against 30 bags to 40 bags we used to realise prior to the intervention,” he said.

Another beneficiary, Mohammed Usman, listed some interventions received as training on how to prepare nursery bed, transplanting and provision of tiller machines for soil excavation before transplanting.

He said they were provided with fertilisers, solar powered pumping machines, among others.

Usman, who was living in his father’s house prior to the intervention, said he had become a landlord.

He described their traditional method of farming as cumbersome, strenuous and less productive.

“With VCDP we are moving forward; we now know more about dry season farming and its enormous benefits.

“IFAD-VCDP gave us solar powered water pumping machines which put an end to huge expenses on diesel and fuel to pump water.

“They trained us on good agronomical practices and gaps training on rainy and season farming,” he said.

Usman, who lauded IFAD-VCDP for its transformative intervention to the entire community, said it had improved their lives economically, morally and otherwise.

He said that before the intervention, most houses in the community were built with mud due to scarce resources.

“IFAD-VCDP has transformed lives economically, social and otherwise to the extent that almost everyone now own modern houses built with bricks.

“We have benefited a lot and our children know attend standard schools.

“I can comfortably do any business irrespective of cost; I can farm three to four hectares across seasons through their support,’’ he said.

Mrs Hadiza Isah, State Programme Coordinator, IFAD-VCDP, Niger, said the visit was to document the success story of farmers that VCDP had supported since its inception in 2020.

Isah said before the intervention, the farmers cultivated between half hectare to two hectares per person.

She said that through the support, they expanded their farms to three to four hectares per farmer.

According to her, farmers in the community can now boast of 6.5 metric tonnes to seven tonnes per hectare.

“When we notice the volume of rice produced in the community and the challenges of processing, we provided them with processing unit or facility.

“The objective of VCDP is to sustainably enhance rural incomes and food security.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

Health

Greece Heart Doctors donate facility to Niger community

250 total views today

By Rita Iliya

Heart Doctors from Greece have donated a newly constructed Primary Healthcare Centre to the people of Gusun Village, Kabo Ward in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger.

 

The project, tagged “Heart Doctors Project 2025”, was facilitated by Dr Mustapha Alheri, former Commissioner of Health in Niger.

 

Speaking at the commissioning of the project, Mrs Eheni Sotinou, who led the Heart Doctors’ team, commended Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger for his exceptional leadership.

 

“Since our intervention across the world, Africa, and Nigeria, we have never received a warm reception like the one Governor Bago gave us in Niger,” she said.

 

Sotinou explained that the Heart Doctors visited Gusun community on Nov. 9, 2024, and were moved to assist after seeing the deplorable state of the facility.

 

“We came from Greece, we learned from our fathers to assist,” she said.

 

The Heart Doctors’ team emphasised that they do not discriminate based on religion or tribe.

 

“We understand that we are all one, and God is one. We try to help people to be balanced in life,” Sotinou said.

 

In his remarks, Alheri thanked Gov. Bago for his development strides, saying it had attracted investors to the state.

 

He commended the people for their cooperation and thanked the Heart Doctors for their intervention in Niger in particular  and the country at large.

 

The Secretary of Gurara Local Government council, Sadaiuki Abubakar also thanked the Heart Doctors for the facility and Alheri for facilitating the construction.

 

The village Head of Kabo, Alhaji Salisu Ahmadu, commended the Heart Doctors for coming to the aid of the community with the health facility.

 

“The gesture would never be forgotten and would stand the test of time,” he said.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that stakeholders, community leaders and residents of Gusun Village attended the commissioning of the project.

 

The facility, which was constructed and equipped by the Heart Doctors, is expected to provide quality healthcare services to the people of Gusun Village and its environs.(NAN)

Edited by Abdulfatai Beki/Oluwole Sogunle

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