Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger has called on non-governmental organisations to complement governments effort at developing healthcare delivery and education at the grassroots.
The governor made call on Wednesday when a delegation from Mainstream Foundation, an NGO, paid him a courtesy visit in Minna.
Sani-Bello said government prioritised the peoples need to access education and health through the provision of Primary Healthcare facilities in each of the 274 wards in the state.
As a government we are doing all we can especially in the areas of education and health in the rural areas where mortality rate is high. Its with the intervention of non-governmental organisations and foundations like the Mainstream Foundation that we can make meaningful progress.
Niger State is the largest and we need to do more. Alot of communities have been cut off. We have alot of school children that dont go to school and alot of women that dont go to hospitals to deliver, all because Niger State is wide.
We have not been able to cover every corner. We need to take healthcare facilities and schools closer to communities.
He commended the foundation for their contributions so far towards the growth and development of the state.
The governor also called on other investors to come to the state to invest their resources as Niger State is an investment friendly state.
He assured investors that government was doing its best to address security challenges in the state.
Sani-Bello also called on the foundation to work with the state to address the needs of citizens especially at the grassroots level so as to improve their living condition.
Earlier, the Chairman, Mainstream Foundation, Alhaji Umaru-Farouq Bako said the foundation was in Minna for its Annual General Meeting.
He explained that the foundation was an undertaking of the Mainstream Energy Solutions which executes the companys corporate social responsibility.
Bako disclosed that out of the 97 projects embarked upon by the foundation in 2018, Niger state benefited 50 per cent from them, adding that education, health and environment are its main areas of concern.
Source: NAN