By Honorable Shehu Bawa Bwari
A recent altercation between me and a social media user has gone viral, in an attempt to undermine the nearly 2 decades, we have spent in empowering and building a sustainable community first in Minna and across Niger State. My name is Shehu Bawa Bwari, I am human, and as a human, it is said that to err is human and to forgive is divine. I am not perfect and as such I am prone to make mistakes. During our interaction, it became evident that I was goaded and made to lose my composure; this explains why a conversation in defense of the impacting work we do will find its way to international news blogs. Again, as an appointee of the government working hard to reduce the unemployment burden in our society, I felt my credibility was unduly attacked, and my integrity was mischievously and maliciously called into question. To this, I apologize to my family, the public, and my mentors/ mentees and appeal that my reaction be situated in the context of seeking protection from the arms of the law and not doing anything to hurt to my accuser. Truth be told, I am the victim of the accuser’s mean-spiritedness clothed in a fake search for accountability.
For those who wish to understand the work that we have embarked on in the past few months under the guidance and support of Farmer Governor Umaru Bago the progress of our skills acquisition training project, “The New Niger Bread,” initiated by my coordinating brother (Amb. Umar Mohammed) and I. This project aimed to empower 200 Nigerlites from across the State with baking skills, to create a ripple effect of knowledge sharing and entrepreneurship. Thanks to the governor’s generous support, each trainee received #100,000 to kick-start their baking businesses. We proudly report that many of these trainees are now successfully supplying bread to households and establishing their customer bases. However, some entrepreneurs have had difficulties expanding their businesses due to the current economic challenges.
Beyond Baking: Diversifying Skills I am delighted to announce that our initiative has evolved beyond baking. Many Nigerlites have also acquired skills in: 1. Paint production
2. Hand weaving
3. Tie & dye
4. Catering
5. Resin Art
6. Shoemaking Clarifying Misconceptions Unfortunately, my recent altercation on social media created a misunderstanding, leading to the assumption that we were establishing a bakery. Our project is a skills acquisition training initiative to empower individuals with various skills to enhance their economic prospects. We remain committed to supporting the growth and development of Niger State’s MSMEs and look forward to continuing our efforts in empowering Nigerlites. No amount of hostile engagement coloured as a search for accountability will deter us from making the youths and vulnerable women in Niger State, self-employed, self-reliant and independent.
God Bless Governor Umar Bago
God Bless Niger State
Good Bless Nigerlites
God Bless Nigeria