Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State has showered encomium on the Etsu Nupe and Chairman Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alh. Yahaya Abubakar.
Governor Umaru Bago hailed the Etsu Nupe during a colloquium on Agriculture and a lunch of the Etsu Yahaya Abubakar endowment fund to mark the 21 years on the throne and 72 years of the Etsu Nupe in Abuja.
He also commended the celebrant for sustaining a good relationship with his administration and for his crucial role has been in galvanising other traditional rulers in all the Emirates in the State to support the Agricultural initiatives of the present administration.
The Governor congratulated Etsu Nupe for all the wonderful achievements he has recorded in life, acknowledging that Allah has truly been king and gracious to him.
He took out time to explain the wealth and prosperity in Agriculture, appreciated the determination of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to revolutionise it and ensure food sovereignty.
The farmer Governor then announced a personal donation of N100 million to the Etsu Yahaya Abubakar Foundation endowment fund.
In his remarks, Etsu Nupe and Chairman Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alh. Yahaya Abubakar explained that the event was to engage stakeholders to bring Agriculture to the front burner of public dialogue and set the agenda for sustainable socio-economic development of the society.
He also disclosed that the Etsu Yahaya Abubakar Foundation was to create a platform that he would give back to the society, making life meaningful for the less privileged at the grassroots thereby, adding that nation-building is a collective responsibility.
The Etsu Nupe said the Foundation would have targeted interventions in education, health, agriculture and rural development as well as youths and women empowerment.
He Commended the President and farmer Governor of Niger State for their Agricultural initiatives, and appealed to the President to facilitate the take-off of the Baro Inland port in line with his renewed hope agenda to unlock the vast economic potential of northern States and the nation as a whole
Former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, who was the keynote speaker, described food challenge as a disturbing issue that can lead to social vices if not addressed.
He observed that high cost of farming inputs, insecurity and bad roads, among others, have made Agriculture difficult for many, stressing the need for the government to address the challenges to make Agriculture more attractive, especially to youths.
Chairman of the Occasion, Col. Sani Bello rtd, represented by Brig. Gen. Tunde Ogbeha rtd, commended Etsu Nupe for always pursuing the welfare and development of his people, saying the Foundation will no doubt make the youths productive while the colloquium would proffer solutions to challenges of Agriculture in Nigeria.
