Aigbogun’s speech at BusinessDay States’ Competitiveness & Good Governance Awards 2017

Your Excellency, the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Your Excellencies, the State Governors present; President of the Senate; Speaker of the House of Representatives; Members of the Federal and State Executive Cabinets; Distinguished Senators and Honourable Representatives of the National Assembly; Royal Fathers present; Distinguished members and representatives of the Federal and State Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); Chief Executive Officers and Business Leaders from the Private Sector; Members of the Press; Ladies & Gentlemen present.

I count it a great priviledge and pleasure to extend to you all a very warm welcome the BusinessDay State Competitiveness &Good Governance Awards 2017 and to say how grateful we are that you are able to join us here this evening.
The State Competitiveness & Good Governance Awards was conceptualized by BusinessDay to recognize and celebrate competitiveness and Good Governance in Nigeria because this forms the bedrock of national development and transformation.
I will like to use this opportunity to say thank you and congratulations to all the nominees present here tonight. Your successful efforts in striving for Good Governance and enhancing the competitiveness of your States in various segments and sectors is laudable and worthy of commendation.
I would also like to use this opportunity to thank your Excellencies, the State Governors for graciously accepting our nomination and Awards. In particular we aware that many of you have in the past  declined similar accolades from other Organisations and your presence here today is a reflection of the high regard in which you hold BUSINESSDAY.
We are humbled to have received testimonials of your vested trust and belief in the integrity and reputation of our newspaper.
To show how grateful we are,  we are offering free digital copies of our daily Newspapers to members of the State Government Executives including the Management teams of the State Departments and Agencies.
In addition to this, we are also offering 25% discount on advert placement in our Newspapers including our online (digital) platforms for the State MDAs that send in their adverts for publication directly to us.

We have no doubt that you will find our reports not only informative but educational.
BusinessDay seeks to be a thought-leader in the critical area of economic development and industrial growth of Nigeria by galvanizing meaningful policy transformation & execution via our various platforms and units on various topical issues of interest to the public and private sectors in Nigeria.

Subsequently, we are also offering our customised research & intelligence services to the State Governors anchored on our work around “Business Case for Investing” publication, as well as other research products.

Through our Research & Intelligence Unit, BRIU, we develop Special reports, Investment brochures, Market Studies and Survey services for different clients across the globe. We are happy to offer similar support to our distinguished State Governors present at a discounted fee.

Our Special Reports and Investment brochures will help to publicise and promote the transformative activities and plans of the nominated States in order to attract investors and drive commercial interests into your various sectors and economies.

With the nation in economic recovery, there is need to galvanise, motivate and encourage the State governments to be more competitive and driven in attracting capital aimed at boosting their respective economies in their areas of comparative advantage.
The era of relying wholly on Federal Allocation for sustenance and sustainability of State policies should be substituted significantly with Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) from the economic activities of each individual State.
Nigeria is a country that is undoubtedly blessed with significant mineral, agricultural, natural and human resources. Each State has comparative advantage in multiple areas – from Agriculture to Minerals to Industry.
Where there is increased and sustained competitiveness through economic development and growth, it opens up doors to self-sufficiency in the areas of comparative strengths and bilateral trade can also be achieved with other States in the area where there is need for partnerships.

 

Take for instance, the partnership between Kebbi State and Lagos State in the area of agricultural produce and commodities which has been roundly acclimaed.

Collaborations such as the Kebbi-Lagos State partnership borne out of harnessing areas of comparative advantage to gain increase in employment, food security, entrepreneurship, wealth creation, IGR and economic development is key and of paramount importance.
Each State is naturally endowed with mineral, agricultural and human resources. Natural resources such as gold, iron ore, clay, lead/zinc, glass-sand, bitumen, among many others, exist in varying forms across Nigeria.

 

In Agriculture, “the land is truly green.”

Oil Palm, Rice, Cotton, Garlic, Ginger, Arabic Gum, Hibiscus, Groundnut, Yam, Cassava, Cashew, Maize, Cowpea, Soybean, Rubber, Sesame seed, Sugarcane, Pepper, Timber, Tomato, Sorgum, Wheat, Hides & Skins, Cocoa, Plantain…the list is endless! These are just a few of the cultivable crops and agricultural produce that can grow in this Country.

In the area of human resources, we are a 182 million-strong population with more than half of the population under the age of 30 years. Nigeria has the tools and resources to spur industrialization. When each State industrialises utilizing the resources at their disposal, competitiveness and good governance is the result!

 

Today, we are here to celebrate the State Governors advancing the frontiers of good governance and competitiveness in their respective States. This year, our Awards Committee developed eleven (11) categories including Fastest Growing State Economy; Transparency in Governance; Most Improved State in Ease of Doing Business; Best State in Promoting Made-in-Nigeria Goods/SME Development, among others.
From these categories, 38 nominees were identified. Out of which, 15 winners emerged.
In arriving at our list of nominees and winners, we utilized a combination of quantitative and qualitative parameters. The quantitative parameters were anchored by our Research & Intelligence Unit, while the qualitative aspects involved on-site inspections, interviews and interactions with the people and indigenes in each State.
Tonight, we are here to award the State Governors that have set the pace for Good Governance & Competitiveness in Nigeria!

It is my deepest honour to welcome you all to the 2017 BusinessDay States’ Competitiveness & Good Governance Awards.

 

Thank You!!! 
God bless you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

 

Frank Aigbogun, CEO BusinessDay Media Ltd