Jigawa governor bags NIPR Diamond Prize for excellence in food security

The Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has conferred the Diamond Prize for excellence in food security on the Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, and made him the Institute’s patron.

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The award was presented at a ceremony held at the Ahmadu Bello Hall, State Secretariat, Dutse, on Tuesday. The NIPR president, Ike Neliaku who made the presentation, said the governor was recognised for revolutionising agricultural practices and embarking on other pro-poor policies in the state.

Mr Neliaku, described Governor Namadi as “an honest, upright, incorruptible, and hardworking leader,” whose passion and zeal to serve his people knows no bounds, highlighting that the award was a result of a meticulous evaluation of his achievements across various sectors since assuming office.

“We are here to give honour to whom honour is due,” Mr Neliaku stated. “Governor Namadi has demonstrated exceptional commitment to food security, governance, and nation-building. He is a beacon of hope and a model of effective leadership.”

Mr Neliaku also announced a plan to establish an NIPR Umar Namadi prize for the best graduating student in Mass Communications as well as an Umar Namadi Centre of Excellence in Development and Agricultural Communication at two of the tertiary institutions in the state in honour of the governor.

The NIPR team said they awarded the Diamond Prize to the governor after a careful review of data and reports from the state stressing that they were convinced that the policies and programmes of the governor had a direct positive impact on the lives of the commoners and children.

The NIPR vice president, Emmanuel Dandaura, in his remark, said the state government has fared well in mitigating the annual flooding and its impacts in some parts of the state.

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Mr Dandaura said the NIPR found that the governor had provided over 100 kilometres of embarkment for communities and farmlands that are in flood-prone areas; we believe that flood mitigation is a good initiative that addresses people’s fear of being washed out by the flooding.

“We also realised that the governor looked at an area that benefits households by increasing the amount of money for the feeding of school children across schools by 40 per cent, this, among other things convinced the NIPR to present the Diamond Prize for the governor

“The governor also released N250 million as counterpart funds to UNICEF for the procurement of Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods in combating malnutrition among children in the state”, the official stated.

Also, in the areas of agriculture, Mr Dandaura said Governor Namadi’s youth empowerment drives and providing support to farmers have seen an increase in cultivating more lands, thus improving food security not only for Jigawa residents but also for the country and continent at large.

The Diamond Prize award officially invested the governor as a patron of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, joining an elite group of individuals recognised for their exceptional contributions to the nation.

In his acceptance speech, Governor Namadi expressed deep gratitude, dedicating the award to the hardworking people of Jigawa State, particularly its farmers, civil servants, development partners, and stakeholders who have been instrumental to the administration’s success.

He noted that the recognition was not just a personal honour but a testament to the collective efforts of the state in achieving remarkable milestones in agricultural transformation.

“This recognition goes beyond me as the executive governor of Jigawa State. It is a testimony of the hard work, resilience, dedication, commitment, and clear acknowledgment of the contributions of all those we have worked together with to record our success stories thus far, including our dedicated farmers, civil servants, development partners, and good citizens of Jigawa State,” the governor said.

Governor Namadi stated that food security is a strategic development priority under his administration’s 12-Point Agenda, emphasizing that the agenda aligns with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Initiative under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritizes agricultural transformation and national food security.

“For us, food security is not merely a political slogan. It is a strategic development objective that perfectly aligns with our constitutional duty of ensuring the security and welfare of the citizens. It is an objective that also conforms with our commitment to achieving the First Sustainable Development Goal concerned with ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.”

“Very importantly, I should mention that our strong determination and commitment to the attainment of food security has drawn a lot of inspiration from the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This has given a significant boost to our homegrown agricultural transformation initiatives, as demonstrated in our collaboration and the support we received in the successful implementation of our Wheat Development Programme.”

The governor’s spokesperson, Hamisu Gumel, highlighted some of the key milestones achieved under Governor Namadi’s administration, which paved the way for the conferment of the award on the governor.

(1) Irrigation Expansion: The state has invested heavily in expanding irrigation infrastructure to ensure year-round farming, boosting productivity across diverse agricultural value chains.

(2) Mechanization of Farming: With modern farming techniques and mechanized systems, Jigawa farmers have witnessed a significant increase in output and efficiency.

(3) Support for Farmers: Subsidized inputs, access to certified seeds, and training programs have empowered farmers, especially women and youth, to thrive in an evolving agricultural landscape.

(4) Agro-Processing Development: The administration has prioritized adding value to raw produce by supporting agro-processing industries, enhancing incomes, and creating job opportunities.

(5) Livestock Development: Key investments have been made to improve livestock production, contributing to nutritional security and economic empowerment.

(6) Future Planning: Plans for the establishment of an Agricultural Transformation Agency in 2025 aim to accelerate Jigawa’s agricultural development strategy, among others.