From Abdullahi Idris,Dutse
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR),the apex body for public relations practitioners in Nigeria, has conferred the Diamond Prize Award of Excellence in Food Security on Governor Umar Namadi.
The award, the first of its kind in the country, was presented at a ceremony held at the Ahmadu Bello Hall, State Secretariat, Dutse.
In addition to receiving this historic award, Governor Namadi was also officially invested as a patron of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, joining an elite group of individuals recognized for their exceptional contributions to the nation.
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The Diamond Prize Award given to Governor Namadi underlines his exemplary leadership and transformative strides in the agricultural sector,which have positioned Jigawa State as a hub of food production and a key contributor to Nigeria’s food security and economic diversification.
Delivering his remarks at the ceremony, Dr. Ike Neliaku, the National President of NIPR, 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 Governor Namadi’s achievements across various sectors since assuming office.
Dr. 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 and Development and Agricultural Communication at two of the tertiary institutions in the state in the Governor’s honour.
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,” he 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 Program.”
Some of the key milestones achieved under Governor Namadi’s administration, which paved the way for the conferment of the award on the governor, include: Irrigation expansion, Mechanized farming, Support for farmers with subsidized inputs, access to certified seeds, and training programs, Agro-Processing Development, Livestock Development and plans for the establishment of an Agricultural Transformation Agency in 2025 which aim to accelerate Jigawa’s agricultural development strategy.
As a newly invested Patron of NIPR, Governor Namadi, underscored the vital role of public relations in governance and national development. He urged NIPR members to continue leveraging their expertise to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance in Nigeria.
“Our quest to project Nigeria’s image and keep the world informed of our conducive business environment and investment climate in order to attract foreign direct investment into the country would not be effective without the contributions of NIPR. As a patron of the Institute, I would therefore urge members to continue to explore pathways through which the Institute could effectively play its roles and contribute to the unity, progress, growth, and development of our nation.” he further assured at the event.
