Female journalists from private and state-owned media across Niger State have been charged to champion gender-sensitive reporting as a way of amplifying women’s voices and driving inclusive storytelling in the media. The call came during a one-day intensive workshop on gender-sensitive reporting organised by Media Mentors Network with support from the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under its Report Women! News and Newsroom Engagement Project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The training held on Thursday, 18th September at the IBB Pen House, Minna, gathered 50 female journalists drawn from newspapers, radio, television, and online platforms.…
Author: Tina George
Niger State is turning to aquaculture as a fresh path to food security and youth employment, as it organises a two-day hands-on fish farming training at Tagwai Dam in Minna. The training is part of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) initiative, running in Niger, Nasarawa and Kaduna states to raise agricultural productivity across crops, livestock and fisheries. “This training is designed to spark youth interest in aquaculture and create jobs,” said Uamr Alhassan, AGRA project coordinator in Niger State. “Participants are learning the entire process, from fingerlings to table-size fish, so they can start their own…
The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) has opened its 2025 International Conference in Ibadan with a strong call for innovation to revive Nigeria’s manufacturing sector. During the press conference to mark the beginning of the International Conference which is holding in Ibadan, APWEN President, Engineer Adebisi Osim noted that innovation and collaboration can revive the nation’s struggling manufacturing sector. She told delegates that the theme, “Revitalizing Nigeria’s Manufacturing Sector Through Innovative Engineering Solutions,” reflects the urgency to blend creativity with practical action. Osim outlined a year packed with impact with over 1,000 girls and women benefitting from…
Lecturers at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna have rejected the loan scheme proposed for academics by the federal government declaring that the loan scheme is “an insult” and a clear sign of disregard for university lecturers. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members, led by their branch chairperson, Professor Lukman Kunle Oyewobi, staged a protest on campus, insisting that what they need is the implementation of their long-overdue agreement with government, not loans that will trap them in debt. “Our condition of service has been on the negotiation table for years. Government set up committees, we did…
The Zainab Mohammed Bima Initiative (ZMBI) has launched the 2025 edition of its flagship programme, Support a Mother, with a new target to reach 900 women across Niger State. Speaking at the flag-off event in Minna, the Convener and Founder, Hajiya Zainab Mohammed Bima, said the initiative is driven by a belief that every mother deserves dignity, care, and support throughout the journey of childbirth. “This year’s edition will reach 900 mothers across Zone A, Zone B, and Zone C of Niger State. It is more than the distribution of maternal kits, it is a gesture of love, solidarity, and…
Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria (CSW-N) has praised the Governors of Katsina and Niger states for reintroducing Christian Religious Studies (CRS) in public primary and secondary schools. The group calls this development, a step toward greater religious inclusion and fairness. In Katsina State, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda reinstated CRS earlier this month, a decision hailed by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) as a demonstration of “justice, fairness and inclusivity” and aligned with Islamic values of equity. Four months earlier, on 7 March 2025, Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago of Niger State announced that CRS would be made available for…
Nigeria Health Watch, MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices, and the Family Planning News Network (FPNN) have trained 20 journalists in Kano on using solutions journalism to report on reproductive health, an approach aimed at shifting media focus from problems to effective responses. The journalists drawn from some of the northern states will in the next three days deepen their understanding of solutions-oriented reporting and engage directly with officials from the Kano State Primary Healthcare Board. At the orientation ceremony, the Director of Media Programmes, Chibuike Alagboso said the programme is meant to deepen the knowledge of journalists around solutions journalism adding…
A teenager from Minna, Lerit Kopji, has taken a bold step into Nigeria’s literary scene with the launch of her debut novel, Crumbled Height, a gripping story woven around injustice, betrayal, hard work, and resilience in the security sector. Speaking at the book launch in Minna, Lerit revealed that her inspiration came from the need to encourage fairness and truth in investigations within the security system. She hopes the book will serve as a resource to prevent innocent people from being punished for crimes they did not commit. “When I first had the idea, people laughed at me. But I…
The Niger Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has backed down and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to democratic governance, regulatory due process, and press freedom amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Badegi FM 90.1, a private radio station operating in the state capital. The assurance followed public outrage after Bago, during an expanded All Progressives Congress (APC) Caucus Meeting in Minna on Friday, threathened to shut down Badeggi Radio. Bago, through a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Binta Mamman, on Monday, confirmed that Badegi FM has continued to operate without interruption while awaiting the outcome of a formal…
Badeggi Radio station has challenged the Niger state Governor, Umaru Mohammed Bago to provide evidence of divisive programmes that bothers around terrorism and inciting the public against government broadcasted by the station. The station said that the Governor is feeling threatened because the station interviewed someone interested in contesting in the 2027 elections because he does not want any other option apart from him. The General Manager, Badeggi FM, Aisha Shuaibu Badeggi disclosed this when she spoke on a national television monitored by our reporter about the recent happenings after the threat of the Governor to shut down the radio…