The 2020 States Competitiveness and Good Governance Awards will be held on Thursday, February 25, 2021, by 6 pm at Transcorp Hilton, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. This year’s award will feature, alongside, the national discourse on approaches and strategies that will spur economic growth even in a pandemic year.
The States Competitiveness and Good Governance Awards was introduced to provide an independent feedback mechanism on the different policies, programmes and projects executed by state governments to promote good governance, transparency and accountability while making the best use of the nation’s scarce resources at their disposal.
This year’s award celebrates the chief executives that have done exceptionally in one or more of our several award categories which include some of the following nominees: Most Improved State in Solid Minerals’ Development: Bello Muhammad Matawalle, Governor of Zamfara, and Abubakar Sani Bello, Governor of Niger; Most Improved State in Security: Aminu Bello Masari, Governor of Katsina; and Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo; Most Improved State in Rural and Urban Infrastructure Development: Abdullahi Sule, Governor of Nasarawa; David Umahi, Governor of Ebonyi, and Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos; Most Improved State in Healthcare Development/covid-19 management: Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor of Kano; Seyi Makinde Governor of Oyo, and Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos; Most Improved State in Social Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation: Bala Muhammed, Governor of Bauchi; Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos; Most Improved in Agriculture Development: Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun; Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo, and Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Governor of Kebbi; Special Recognition Award for the Development of Democracy: Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, Governor of Edo; Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo, Benedict Ayade, Governor of Cross River; Urban and Rural Infrastructure Development: Babagana Zulum, Governor of Borno; Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya, Governor of Gombe, and Simon Bako Lalong, Governor of Plateau; Governor of the Year – North: Darius Dickson Ishaku, Governor of Taraba; Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor of Kano, and Aminu Bello Masari, Governor of Katsina; Governor of the Year – South: Benedict Ayade, Governor of Cross River; Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, Governor of Akwa Ibom, and Dave Umahi, Governor of Ebonyi; Governor of the Year: Adegboyega Oyetola, Governor of Osun; Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo, and Willie Obiano, Governor of Anambra State.
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A survey recently conducted by the research team in late December 2020 to gauge the views of Nigerians revealed that security, electricity, education and good motorable roads were desired to be top focus areas for 2021.
“Despite the challenges facing the nation, significant progress has been made in some sectors of the Nigerian economy—agriculture, development of rail infrastructure, management of COVID-19, the drive to make Nigeria self-reliant, transparency and good leadership”, survey respondents.
The Businessday Research and Intelligence Unit (BRIU) employed a number of parameters for the assessment of the 36 states performances. These include IGR growth, capital importation distribution across states; unemployment rates Q2 2020, literacy rate 2019, Net Enrolment Rate 2019, the hours spent to get water 2019 and percentage of water in the state from piped and public water sources in 2019. Others are growth in local debt 2019/2020, growth in external debt2019/2020, fiscal viability Index 2019 and the debt Income ratio in 2019.
