The Niger State Government has convened town hall meetings for 350 community, traditional and religious leaders across several local government areas following the detection of three new polio cases and multiple diphtheria infections in the state. The State Immunization Officer, Abubakar Kpantu disclosed the new cases during a public health emergency prevention and response meeting organised by the State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United States Government. According to Kpantu, the three polio cases were recorded in Magama and Mariga Local Government Areas, while diphtheria cases were detected in Bida, Chanchaga…
Author: Tina George
Niger State Government has officially commissioned the Niger State Private Health Facilities Registration and Regulation Agency, (NISPHFA) in its bid to regulate the private health sector and combat quackery. The newly established body is mandated to eliminate substandard medical practices, protect patient rights, and enforce strict compliance across all private medical establishments operating within the state. Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Niger state Governor, Mohamed Umaru Bago, the State Head of Service, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Idris formally declared the agency open for full operations, describing the development as a landmark achievement under the administration’s New Niger Agenda.…
Niger State House of Assembly has approved another $14,445,007.06 bank loan to finance Niger Foods Security Systems and Logistics Company in the state. Speaker Barrister Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji disclosed this during plenary in Minna on resumption from the short Eid-el-Kabir recess. Sarkin-Daji said the Assembly received a request from Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for legislative approval of a bank guarantee in favor of United Bank for Africa, UBA, under the Saudi EXIM Line of Financing. It was learnt that the State Executive Council had already approved the facility at its 563rd meeting to support the expansion of Niger Foods. According to…
In a bid to combat the severe shortage of agricultural extension personnel, the Agriculture Graduates Association of Nigeria (AGAN) and the Niger State Ministry of Agriculture is engaging stakeholders across the agricultural sectors and value chain. The crux of the meetings is focused on public private extension entrepreneurship to address the severe shortage of public extension workers and the rising complexity of modern farming. The stakeholders meeting which took place at the Conference Hall of the Niger State Ministry of Agriculture looked at developing sustainable, private sector-led solutions to the mounting challenges facing extension services in the state. The Permanent…
Tension is boiling over in Niger State as Christian pressure groups have launched a blistering attack on the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the ruling party of using zoning and consensus to systematically wipe out Christian aspirants from the 2027 primaries. In a press briefing held in Minna on Tuesday, the Niger State Christian Voice in Politics and Governance which is a coalition of Christian youths pressure groups in Niger accused APC leaders of deliberately shutting Christians out of senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly tickets, leaving the faith group with zero representation at the federal and state…
A massive sea of supporters brought the ancient city of Bida to a standstill on Sunday evening as Mallam Idris Usman Makanta, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship aspirant for Niger State, returned home after officially submitting his nomination form. The overwhelming reception, which turned a routine 30-minute commute into a four-hour gridlock, marked a dramatic resurgence for the politician following his previous bid for the state’s top office. Basking in the glow of the mammoth crowd, Makanta dismissed concerns that his ongoing court case with the state government will derail his campaign, declaring that facing legal battles is common…
World Hypertension Day, observed annually on May 17, serves as a global platform to raise awareness about high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, often described as the silent killer. In 2026, the theme “Controlling Hypertension Together: check your blood pressure regularly, defeat the silent killer” underscores that managing this condition requires collective effort from individuals, families, communities, healthcare providers, and health systems. Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and premature death. It usually presents with no obvious symptoms until complications arise. Globally, about 1.4 billion adults live with hypertension, but only one in…
As Nigeria grapples with escalating insecurity, kidnapping, and terrorism, a disturbing new report reveals that sophisticated surveillance technologies, procured with millions of dollars to combat these violent crimes, are being routinely diverted to monitor, track, and intimidate journalists, activists, and dissenting citizens. The startling revelations are detailed in a new white paper titled “Victims Speak: Techniques, Patterns, and Impacts of Targeted Surveillance in Nigeria,”* officially launched on Thursday by Spaces for Change (S4C) at the CityGate Homes in Abuja. The report, a culmination of qualitative data gathered through the SpyStop Laboratory (SSL) in 2025, exposes a shrinking civic space where…
The Ngas people of Plateau state living in Niger state have celebrated its bi-annual Festival of Arts and Culture, tagged “Puusdung” as a means of reaffirming who they are and where they come from. The two-day event began with a gala night where a beauty pageant was held among young ladies who competed for the crown of the Miss Puusdung, and the guests were enthralled by the NGAS culture, which included its food and dances by cultural troops and performers, including Nhitshi Dancers and Pargol and group. The second day, which was the main event of the 3rd edition of…
The Wife of the President of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has declared that the nation can no longer rely on hoes and cutlasses for farming to meet the mounting food demands of its growing population, charging farmers to urgently embrace modern agricultural methods. Tinubu made this call on Saturday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport in Minna during the official flag-off of the 2026 farming season and the massive distribution of mechanisation support equipment. Speaking to a large gathering of farmers and stakeholders, Tinubu urged the beneficiaries to maximize the newly provided tools and fertilizers. She emphasized that approaching…