In the last three years, Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, has been redefining government through his administration’s programmes on education, economic empowerment, agriculture and health. WALE AJETUNMOBI looks at some of the results
Niger State has explained how it is sustaining its development momentum, despite challenges of funds. The state government said it is faring well in delivering key development programmes of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello whose administration is building a “strong foundation” in key sectors, with the aim to stabilise the state economy and make it self-sustaining.
The state, Gov. Sani Bello revealed, was battling “huge deficit” in its balance sheet before his administration came on board, pointing out that government owed contractors and workers to the tune of billions. The debt became an albatross which the Sani Bello administration needed to tackle to keep the wheel of governance going.
To reposition the state and rejuvenate its commerce, the governor said his administration identified education, agriculture, economic empowerment and health as key areas of priority in which his government could invest. The investment, he said, was purposely targeted at stimulating the state economy and lessening the burden of debt that hitherto slowed down the wheel of governance.
Three years after, Governor Bello said the steps had yielded positive developments, with the state reaping improved productivity and accelerated growth in the areas of investment. He noted that his government had brought down the debt burden left by his predecessors, adding that efforts were being intensified to drive up the state revenue.
His first assignment as governor, Sani Bello took a complete assessment of the standard of education in the state, which, he said, was discovered to be in shambles, with most of the teachers not qualified for the teaching job.
The governor said it was impossible for his administration to deliver on its programme without carrying out a total overhaul of education in the state.
He said: “The first thing I noticed when I came on board was that, the standard of Niger State education was completely going down. Without quality education, there would be no way we can give our people a decent life and we cannot produce world leaders with the kind of education we inherited. We knew it would be difficult to achieve development we want with such poor state of education.”
The outcomes of the assessment led to the governor giving approval for the construction of two primary schools in each Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. The schools, equipped with modern facilities, were built to meet the standards of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The governor also ordered renovation and re-equipping of two secondary schools in each senatorial district, designating the beneficiary schools as centres of excellence.
“We paid attention to education because I felt it is bedrock of whatever policy we are bringing on board to reposition the state. We started fixing the schools, releasing our counterpart funds for Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for the rehabilitation of our primary schools.
“After we fixed the schools, we moved to empower the personnel. I did not sack the unqualified teachers; we set up Teachers’ Training Centres in each senatorial zone to train them. One of the centres is completed but two are still being put up. What these centres will do, is to build the capacity of professional teachers on the best practice in imparting knowledge on our pupils. With that effort, Niger State will not lack competent teachers.”
Also, the Sani Bello administration initiated a scheme in which secondary school pupils who make eight distinctions in their exit examination are offered foreign scholarship to further their studies abroad.
Infrastructural upgrade
The Sani Bello administration took over a lot of abandoned projects from the previous government, which posed a major challenge for his administration, as most of the contractors had mobilised their equipment to the project sites with huge outstanding debt to pay to them.
Rather than discontinue the road projects abandoned by his predecessor, Gov. Sani Bello liaised with and re-mobilised the contractors handling the projects for completion.
He said: “I felt that, instead of building new structures, we should try and complete the structures started the by previous administration. We mobilised resources to complete these abandoned projects and we have completed most of these projects.”
Most of the abandoned road projects were completed and open for use within three years of the Sani Bello administration. By last November, the governor said his government had completed more than 400 kilometres of roads and 20 new bridges across the state, with rural areas benefitting the most.
Going forward, the governor said there are new infrastructure projects coming up to open up new economic potential in the state. He maintained his administration had embarked on “massive” rural electrification projects, which was targeted at rural farmers to boost agricultural production and improve security of lives.
Sani Bello said his administration had been responding to the challenges being faced by the communities to access potable water, noting that his government had resuscitated the abandoned the statewide water projects and sinking boreholes in strategic rural areas that are in dire need of water for agricultural activities.
He said: “Our infrastructural upgrade is focused on critical areas that are pertinent to our immediate need to secure our state and improve its economic fortunes. The infrastructural upgrade is being carried out in roads, water resources, power and transportation. We have initiated reforms in the state’s water resources in our drive to ensure every citizen of the state has access to potable water.
“Our administration has earmarked N50 billion for the improvement of water supplies in various parts of the state for the next two years. Reticulation is underway for water works at Minna, Suleja, Bida and Kotangora.
“The state government seeks to shore up power supply through alternative sources. The independent power projects are being pursued, while we engage the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company for improved power supply.”
Economic diversification through agriculture and industrialisation
It used to be challenging for rural farmers to move their produce from farm to the market. With the rehabilitation of various rural roads by the Sani Bello administration to make them accessible, the story is fast changing for the farmers.
This intervention had improved agricultural production and farmers’ turnover on their investment.
Revolutionising the state’s agriculture away from subsistence farming, the government provided 230 tractors for the 2018 farming season. The objective, the governor said, is to boost crop yields and produce excess raw materials for secondary manufacturing industries.
The current administration also provided over 30,000 hectares of land as grazing reserve to boost pastoral farming.
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