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Jigawa Partners PiCNG To Expand Alternative Energy Infrastructure

Published

3 weeks ago

October 14, 2026

From Abdullahi Idris, Dutse

The Jigawa State Government has pledged to deepen its collaboration with the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) to expand alternative energy infrastructure and promote the adoption of compressed natural gas (CNG), particularly in the agricultural sector.

Governor Umar Namadi gave the assurance on Tuesday when the Chairman of the Presidential Initiative, Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Governor at Government House, Dutse.

Governor Namadi said the state’s interest in CNG extends beyond its use in transportation, saying that affordable energy for irrigation is critical to reducing farmers’ production costs and sustaining agricultural activities.

He stated that energy costs currently account for more than half of farmers’ operating expenses, a situation he said was discouraging some farmers from returning to their farms.

“As of today, energy costs constitute more than 50% of the operating expenses of our farmers,” the governor said.

He also said that the state had resolved to undertake the conversion of irrigation pumps from conventional energy sources to CNG as part of measures to lower production costs, alongside other subsidies on agricultural inputs.

“On this initiative, the state government is ready to bear the cost of conversion for the targeted farms. For us, going into CNG is a matter of necessity,” he said

The governor said the proposed intervention was particularly important to the state’s dry-season wheat and rice production programmes, as he reiterated Jigawa’s target of cultivating 500,000 hectares of wheat by 2030 and producing four million metric tonnes of rice annually within the same period.

He said the government was ready to provide land and other necessary support to facilitate the initiative, including collaboration with private-sector investors.

Earlier speaking, Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed described Jigawa as an important location for the expansion of CNG infrastructure because of its strategic position between Kano and the Northeast, as well as its land availability and the state government’s interest in alternative energy.

He said the presidential initiative was in discussions with private-sector investors to explore opportunities for establishing a major alternative energy hub in Jigawa, which could serve vehicles and heavy-duty transport operating along major routes.

The chairman also disclosed that the initiative was working towards expanding the number of CNG conversion centres in the state, saying that the target was to have at least 30 centres by December 2026, subject to the willingness of local investors to participate.

He added that the initiative would also explore collaboration with the state government to establish electric vehicle charging infrastructure as part of the wider alternative energy programme.

The governor welcomed the proposals and reaffirmed Jigawa State’s readiness to work with the Presidential Initiative, investors, and other relevant partners to advance the development of alternative energy infrastructure.

He said the proposed collaboration would complement the state’s investments in irrigation and agricultural mechanization while supporting efforts to reduce the cost of food production and improve farmers’ livelihoods.

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RMAFC Chairman Charges Directors, HODs on Accountability, Productivity

Published

18 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, OFR, has charged Directors and Heads of Departments (HODs) to demonstrate commitment, accountability and professionalism in the discharge of their duties to ensure the successful implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS) in the Commission.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by Head, Information and Public Relations Unit Maryam Umar Yusuf, mnipr stated that, Chairman gave the charge at the signing of Performance Contracts by Directors and Heads of Departments at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

He described the exercise as more than the signing of official documents, noting that it represented a covenant of accountability and a commitment to delivering on the Commission’s strategic objectives through improved productivity and measurable results. He also noted that the initiative aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which prioritises institutional efficiency, good governance and improved service delivery.

Dr. Shehu explained that the PMS represents a deliberate shift from routine administrative activities to a result-oriented system that measures institutional and individual performance against clearly defined objectives.

He noted that the Commission had recorded significant progress towards its implementation through the development of a dedicated IT platform, organisation-wide staff training, capacity building for PMS champions, management sensitisation sessions and change management initiatives.

He emphasised that the system was not designed to be punitive but to empower officers, clarify responsibilities, identify capacity gaps and promote fairness in performance assessment. He therefore urged Directors and HODs to ensure that departmental targets and key performance indicators were realistic, measurable, time-bound and aligned with the Commission’s strategic objectives.

He assured staff of management’s commitment to providing the necessary support and enabling environment, while urging all officers to embrace the initiative and make accountability, professionalism and improved service delivery their guiding principles.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Personnel Matters Committee (PMC) and Federal Commissioner representing Cross River State, Ntufam Eyo-Nsa Whitley, described staff as the driving force behind the success of the Commission, urging them to demonstrate discipline, diligence, emotional intelligence and dedication to their responsibilities.

He encouraged officers to take the performance management exercise seriously and give their best towards achieving the Commission’s objectives.

He further urged staff to support one another, embrace the reform process and avoid attitudes that could undermine teamwork and institutional progress. Hon Ntufam called on the PMS champions to demonstrate commitment and provide guidance to their colleagues, stressing that collective responsibility, discipline and effective implementation would ensure the success of the initiative.

In his welcome address, the Secretary to the Commission, Comrade Tosin Adeyanju, described the signing ceremony as a significant milestone in the Commission’s history, marking the transition from intention to action, planning to execution, and traditional performance evaluation to a modern, data-driven performance management system.

He appreciated the Chairman’s leadership and the Commissioners’ support, while acknowledging the critical roles of Directors and HODs in driving the transformation.

He urged management staff to take ownership of their performance agreements and ensure regular engagement, feedback and monitoring to achieve the desired results.

He stressed that the success of the PMS would depend not merely on signing the contracts but on the Commission’s ability to translate agreed targets into improved productivity, efficiency and measurable institutional achievements.

Earlier, the Director overseeing the Administration and Human Resource Department, Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Gidado, explained that the Commission had undertaken a series of activities towards the implementation of the Performance Management System and that the signing of the performance contracts represented a major milestone in the process, marking the transition from preparatory activities to the implementation phase.

In his lecture on The Role of Performance Management in Public Sector Transformation, Mr. Nwachukwu John, Head of Economy Team Performance Management at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), commended RMAFC for the progress recorded in adopting the PMS framework. He noted that the Commission’s commitment demonstrated its readiness to embrace public service reforms and align individual responsibilities with institutional and national development objectives.

He explained that the PMS was designed to connect the responsibilities of individual officers with departmental targets, the Commission’s strategic plan and the Federal Government’s priorities. He urged Directors and HODs to ensure that performance contracts were cascaded to other levels of staff through regular engagement and feedback, emphasising that the system was a productivity tool rather than a promotion exercise.

Similarly, Mr. Ohiro Emmanuel, PMS Consultant with Reliefline Nigeria Limited, delivered a lecture on Overview of the PMS Implementation Journey, during which he described the signing of performance contracts by Directors as a major milestone in the implementation process. He explained that the Commission had conducted staff training, developed a dedicated PMS IT platform and trained performance management champions to facilitate the process.

He stated that the next phase would involve cascading the performance contracts across departments, with Directors engaging their Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors, who would subsequently work with other officers to ensure that individual responsibilities were aligned with departmental targets. He urged the Commission to sustain the momentum and proceed with the cascading process to achieve full implementation of the system.

In his closing remarks, the Director of Reliefline Nigeria Limited, Mr. Francis Ikuyinminu, expressed appreciation to the leadership of RMAFC for their commitment and collaboration towards the successful development of the PMS.

He also acknowledged the support of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and other partners, reaffirming his company’s commitment to providing technical advisory support, capacity building and change management to ensure effective implementation of the system. He urged all stakeholders to sustain their partnership and commitment towards building a legacy of excellence

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