Niger Govt Assures International Development Partners of Support and Cooperation

Niger Govt Assures International Development Partners of Support and Cooperation

Olabode Adaramola, Minna

The Hon. Commissioner, Niger State Planning Commission, Alhaji Muhammadu Nda has assured all International development partners intervening in various sectors in the state, of the government’s unflinching support and cooperation.

He gave the assurance at a one-day interactive session with the Economist/Primary Health Care Adviser of Bill and Milinda Gate, Mr Benson Obanyo in his office on Sunday in Minna.

Alhaji Nda, observed that in the past, so much emphasis was placed on technical and logistic support by the International development partners to the detriment of real time interventions.

He specifically called on Bill and Milinda Gate to shift its focus of intervention from capacity building and other forms of technical support to value addition programmes and projects that would have direct bearing on the citizens of the state.

Also speaking at the meeting, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi, said Niger state is predominantly agrarian, and therefore requested Bill and Milinda Gate to focus chunk of its intervention on Mechanized Agricultural Production, storage and modern marketing systems.

Alhaji Abdullahi stated that Niger state government was fully committed to the development of modern irrigation system of farming in order to ensure dry season and all year-round farming in the state.

He disclosed further that, the state government is presently resuscitating 17 irrigation schemes across the state in an effort to boost food security in the state.

Earlier, Mr Benson Obanyo, the Economist/Primary Health Care Adviser of Bill and Milinda Gate told the gathering that he was in the state to collect social statistics, economic indices and other relevant data of the state with particular reference to Health and Agricultural sectors which, according to him would be used to assess the state with a view to determining the level of intervention it requires.

The Economist/Primary Health Care Adviser said that Bill and Milinda Gate is currently assessing four States in Nigeria namely; Kano, Kaduna, Niger and Lagos.

Mr Benson Obanyo thereby assured that he has taken note of the comments and requests made at the meeting and promised to convey same to their next meeting in New York, United States of America at the end October this year for consideration.

Meanwhile, the interactive session was attended by the Director, PRS and ICT, Alhaji Musa Ladan Badeggi on behalf of the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Jonathan Tsado Vatsa.

Also in attendance was the Permanent Secretaries, Ministries of Agriculture, Alhaji Danlami Ibrahim and that of Health, Dr Ibrahim U. Tifin as well as the Director, Economic Cooperation and Development (ECD), State Planning Commission.

Others No include, Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministries of Health and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr James Kolo and Engr. Adamu Danladi