Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State on Tuesday emerged the Leadership Newspaper Governor of the Year 2023.
Bago, a former member of the House of Representatives won the 2023 governorship election in Niger State against all permutations and on arrival at the Government House in Minna had set out to revamp agriculture in the North Central State.
The Award was bestowed on him on premise of his administration’s intentional attitude towards reforming critical sectors of the state’s economy especially in agriculture, education and social services.
Hon. Bago, popularly called the Farmer Governor joined other great Nigerians including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governors of Benue, Katsina and Oyo states as well as the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi on the honours list.
The award was given to the Farmer Governor based on his outstanding innovative leadership style and the immense developmental strides of his administration in less than one year.
Speaking on behalf of award recipients under the Governor of the Year 2023 category, the Farmer Governor Umaru Bago re-emphasized the need for Nigeria to be productive.
He said Nigeria is blessed with abundant resources to feed itself and export pointing out that Niger State is taking a lead in terms of Agriculture as it has attracted over a billion dollar Agric business investments.
The Farmer Governor assured that with the Agricultural Policies in Niger State, the State in particular and Nigeria, in general, will have enough food to feed and export.
While commending the Management and Staff of the Leadership Group for finding them worthy of the awards and pledged to justify the honour.
The Governor on behalf of President Ahmed Bola Tunubu, Niger State Government, APC Governors and Ministers as well as his Family announced the donation of N250 million academic scholarship to Auwalu Salisu, a Keke Napep driver from Kano who found and returned N15 million to a citizen of Chad Republic.
He applauded the honesty and exemplary decision of Auwalu Salisu, adding that there are more of such people in the society that need to be identified and celebrated.
The Farmer Governor promised to name one street in Minna after Auwalu Salisu.
President Ahmed Bola Tinubu who bagged the Leadership Person of the Year 2023 was represented by his Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alh. Mohammed Idris Malagi.
He acknowledged that Nigeria is in a difficult moment but that it will come out of it strongly as his administration will continue to make decisions that would be of great benefit to all, even as he appealed for more patience and understanding from Nigerians.
In his keynote address, the former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and founder of Sogato Strategies, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, spoke on the theme “Nigeria’s Distress Economy; which way forward”, stressed that bad governance, population crisis, inadequate and unstable electricity, and lack of strategy, among others by successive administrations have been the bane of Nigeria’s economy crisis.
He however made some recommendations to the Federal Government such as the N20 billion bond to fund a strategic project comprising railway, housing and agriculture; cut the cost of governance; respect institutions’ independence; and think structurally among others.
Earlier, the Chairman of Leadership Group, Mrs. Zainab Nda Isaiah said the award was to give a spotlight to those considered to be well deserving of the awards in various categories.
While congratulating the awardees, The Chairman also commended them for their passion and zeal for the development of humanity and the nation.
Auwalu Salisu was also given a scholarship at Baze University by the Labour Party Presidential Candidate and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi who was also an awardee and his Vice Presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Ahmed.
Niger State had a powerful delegation including serving Federal and State lawmakers from the State, Members of the State Executive Council, State ALGON Chairman, Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers and key government officials at the event.