Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State has emphasized that the impact of terrorism in his state surpasses that of Borno State, urging concerted efforts to address the situation. He conveyed this message during a meeting with a delegation from the Victims Support Fund (VSF) at the Government House in Minna, the state capital,leadership reports.
The governor underscored that Niger State has been severely affected by terrorism and expressed deep concern about the devastating consequences of terrorist activities, going as far as to suggest that the situation could be even worse than that experienced in Borno State. Bago attributed this severity to various factors, including the state’s vast size, fertile land, water bodies, and illegal mining activities.
While appreciating the VSF for their assistance to victims of terrorism, Governor Bago called upon the federal government, international development partners, and concerned Nigerians to provide further support.
ALSO READ: ‘Over 27m Nigerians Lack Access To Internet’
The Executive Director of VSF, Prof. Nana Tanko, explained that their visit aimed to complement the state government’s efforts in providing welfare to terrorism victims. After assessing the situation in the state, they identified three local government areas in need of intervention: Shiroro, Lapai, and Kontagora.
Prof. Nana Tanko mentioned that the organization had observed food shortages in these areas and announced plans to assist 1,000 households from each of the selected local governments, totaling 3,000 households. Their support would extend to revitalizing the livelihoods of the people by assisting skilled entrepreneurs and providing farmers with fertilizers and agricultural inputs to bolster agricultural activities in the state. The food items to be distributed include 10kg bags of rice, beans, vegetable oil, salt, and sugar.
