Reps laud Niger governor over agricultural revolution

The House of Representatives has lauded the strides made by the Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, in revolutionising agricultural activities in the state.

The commendation followed a motion of personal explanation moved by Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos) during Tuesday’s plenary session.

Mr Bago, a former member of the House, contested the 2019 speakership election against Femi Gbajabiamila but lost. In 2023, he was elected as the governor of Niger State and adopted the title “The Farmer Governor.”

While moving the motion, Mr Benson said some leaders from across West and Central Africa had reached out to him regarding Mr Bago’s agricultural initiatives.

He stated that it is important to highlight efforts made by sub-national governments to enhance food security in the face of the current food inflation.

“A military general from Cameroon, who studied at Harvard, called me recently, and he was full of praise for Governor Bago. He didn’t know the governor personally.

“Governor Bago has shown an uncommon passion for agricultural revolution, infrastructural development, and religious tolerance,” he said.

Mr Benson recalled how several lawmakers, including himself and the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, had led the movement that blocked Mr Bago from emerging as the deputy speaker.

The Speaker of the 10th Assembly, Tajudeen Abbas. [PHOTO CREDIT: House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria]

He suggested that this move might have paved the way for Mr Bago to attain the governorship.

Although motions of personal explanation are not subject to debate, Mr Tajudeen allowed some members to contribute to Mr Benson’s motion.

Abdullahi Saidu (APC, Niger) stated that Niger State is at the forefront of agricultural development, with the cultivation of over 250,000 hectares of land, the procurement of equipment, and the signing of strategic agreements with other states.

“Governor Bago has committed 250,000 hectares of land to sugarcane cultivation,” he said, adding, “In addition to other initiatives, Niger State has what it takes to feed the entire nation.”

Mr Saidu also remarked that there is no opposition in Niger State because the governor has been generous to all lawmakers in the state, regardless of their political affiliations.

“He gave us cars as lawmakers, irrespective of party affiliation,” he added.

Shortly before ruling on the motion, Mr Tajudeen described Mr Bago as the pride of the House and a worthy ambassador of the parliament.

Nigeria has been grappling with a cost of living crisis over the past couple of years.

A breakdown of the recent price index for October released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that food and non-alcoholic beverages were the largest drivers, contributing 17.55 per cent year-on-year.