Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has commissioned an electricity project initiated by the member representing Borgu/Agwara Federal constituency in the state, Jafar Muhammad Ali.
The project includes linking Lumma-Babanna, two strategic towns in the area, and their communities to the national grid.
Lumma, Lambu, Kuble, Yaboi, Audu Fari, Bakwa dukawa, Dabiri, Garuji, and Babanna are among the benefiting communities.
The lawmaker also facilitated the connection of the Agwara local government area to the national grid in February.
The benefiting communities on the Agwara side include Lumma, Swashi, Guffanti, Kwana, Kwan, Papiri, Gallah, Tashan Fulani, Agwara, Busuru, and Rofia.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Lumma-Babanna project, Governor Bago said Hon. Ali’s development vision aligned with his administration’s ‘New Niger’ and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which could be achieved through robust power supply.
He said the project would improve the people’s economic fortunes, encourage modern agriculture, and promote the Babanna international border market. Babanna is a town bordered by Nigeria and the Benin Republic.
In 2018, former president Muhammadu Buhari through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in conjunction with the Niger State government, moved to establish a trans-border market in the town.
However, the deplorable condition of the road from Luma to Babana and the lack of electricity in the area stalled the project.
Governor Bago lauded the lawmaker for solving the area’s electricity challenges by connecting the Agwara and Babanna areas with a 33KVA line.
He said the project would, among other things, boost commercial activities, generate employment, and reduce crime and youth restiveness.
Mr Bilyaminu Idris Danburam, the lawmaker’s legislative aide, said his principal had been influencing projects that directly affected the area’s people, adding that more development initiatives were on the way.
