2017 BusinessDay States Competitiveness And Good Governance Awards

Winners have emerged in the 2017 BusinessDay States Competitiveness and Good Governance Awards held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

  • Fastest Growing State economy award – Kano State

Based on noticeable increase in its IGR, expanding business opportunities and rising confidence among investors across the state.

  • Best State in Tourism Award – Osun State

Based on its consistent successes in hosting the annual Osun Osogbo festival.

  • The most improved in healthcare development – Ebonyi State

Governor David Umahi’s administration was commended for channeling the resources of the state to build the first virology centre for the entire south eastern region.

  • Transparency in Governance award – Jigawa State

The Award Committee based its decision on full disclosure of the contracts awarded, their costs, contractors and the level of performance of each project.

  • The most improved state in rural and urban development – Enugu and Edo states
  • Best state promoting made in Nigeria goods and SME development award – Abia State

This campaign earned entrepreneurs in Abia state about 1 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu was highly commended for promoting made in Nigeria goods.

  • The most improved state in ease of doing business – Kaduna State

Since he assumed office, Mallam El Rufai introduced a number of measures that have seen all the government agencies improved remarkably in addressing investors’ concerns and this has led to a number of new investments being injected into the state.

  • Agricultural development award – Benue State
  • Housing development award – Ogun State
  • The most improved states in education development for the southern and northern regions respectively – Imo and Sokoto states

Apart from being the state with the highest enrolments into tertiary institutions in the country, Imo State has maintained the top five positions by WAEC ranking among the states of the federation. On its part, Sokoto State has embarked on massive reforms of the education sector, starting with the highest budgetary allocation to that sector.

  • The most improved states in peace and security – Gombe and Plateau states

According to Frank Aigbogun, publisher/CEO BusinessDay:

“As the leading business and financial newspaper in West Africa, our aim is to encourage state governments and public officials generally, to see governance as a serious business, so that our scarce resources can be judiciously used with a view to making Nigeria a better place for all.

There is no doubt that since the good governance awards debuted, we have seen a lot of improvements in governance across the states. Starting with increasing internally generated revenue (IGR), robust official websites that help public officials disseminate information better; timely disclosures of government finances, especially with regards to the awards of contracts, and so on.”

2017 Crans Montana Forum Of New Leaders Of Tomorrow Award

Esther Agbarakwe, Aminu Waziri Mohammed and Usman Muhammad have been honoured with Crans Montana Forum of New Leaders of Tomorrow award [2017] for their outstanding professional achievement.

The Forum, which is domiciled in Switzerland consists of a unique community of young leaders from Africa, the Arab World, far Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South-America and far East that were selected for their exceptional professional achievement and leadership experience in businesses and governments.

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Festus Mbisiogu Honoured With Pride of Africa 2017 Award

Festus Mbisiogu, a China-based Nigerian businessman and Chairman of Blue Diamond Logistics, China, has been hounoured with the Pride of Africa 2017 award by Appreciate Africa Network in appreciation of his contributions in the diaspora to socio-economic development.

The bestowment of the award, which recognized Africans in Asia, who added value to their home and host countries, took place at the prestigious Beijing Marriot City Wall Hotel, China.

This year’s award featured 27 categories with a total of 63 people nominated for their various contributions to human development and productivity. Also, more than 1000 nominees were selected from Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia and across the entire provinces of China through online voting.
The final selection at the eve of award night had Mr. Festus Mbisiogu, emerge as ‘Community Champion 2017’ under the Community Leadership Category.
He was also honoured as a result of the activities of his foundation, Uzotex Foundation.
A statement by the convener said:

Yuonov Frederick Agah Reappointed WTO Deputy Director-General [2017]

Yuonov Frederick Agah has been reappointed as Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for another four-year term; resuming his second term at the WTO headquarters in Geneva on October 1 till September 30, 2021. Mr. Agah was first appointed as Deputy Director-General of WTO in 2013 for a four-year term, which he assumed on October 1 that year.

The 164-member countries’ organisation is the only global international body that deals with the rules of trade between nations to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers to conduct their business.

Mr. Agah was appointed as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the WTO in 2005.

In that capacity, he served as the Alternate Chief Negotiator for the Doha Round and Head of Nigeria’s Trade Office to the WTO in the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Office in Geneva.

The Trade Office is responsible for Nigeria’s participation in Geneva-based trade-related international organisations,, particularly the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the World Intellectual Property Organisation, the International Trade Centre and the WTO.

The WTO deputy chief served as Chair to WTO’s General Council in 2011.

He was responsible for organising the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference, which was acknowledged to be successful in spite of prevailing stalemate in the Doha Round.

He also served as Chair of the Dispute Settlement Body in 2010 and the Council for Trade in Services in 2009.

He was also the chair of the Trade Policy Review Body in 2008, the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in 2007, and the Council for Trade in Goods in 2006.

He chaired the Council for the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights – an international legal agreement between all the member nations of the – Special Session, in 2013.

Mr. Yuonov Frederick Agah had previously worked as a lecturer at Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State from 1979 to 1981 and Senior Features Writer/Circulation Manager, Benue Printing and Publishing Corporation from 1982 to 1984.

Lawrence Folajimi Awosika Is Re-Elected UNCLCS Chairman [2017-22]

Professor Lawrence Folajimi Awosika, has been re-elected as Chairman of the United Nation’s Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) [2017].

Professor Lawrence Folajimi Awosika polled 154 out of 157 votes to emerge Chair of the prestigious 21-person UN scientific body.

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Dika Odum Emerge GCU Alumnus of the Year 2017

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) awards Dika Odum, who graduated with an MSc in Energy and Environmental Management in 2015 as the Alumnus of the Year 2017 for the significant career achievements and charitable work he has undertaken since graduating.

Dika Odum is currently Managing Director of Kherithdum Limited, a company based in Nigeria offering management consultancy and cooperate training services in the areas of environmental management, energy efficiency, human resource management, finance, business administration, project management and health and safety.

Dika was involved in organising Anambra state’s participation in 2016, for the first time, in World Environment Day, established by the United Nations in 1972. He also initiated a project to encourage children in Nigeria to get involved in contributing to environmental sustainability at an early age. He spoke to over 1,500 children on climate change, reuse, recycling and the need to go green.

Olusegun Adekunle Emerge OPEC Alternate Chairman of 127th EC Board

Olusegun Adekunle has been appointed the Alternate Chairman of the 127th Economic Commission Board of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Mr. Olusegun Adekunle was before this appointment Nigeria’s representative to the Organisation.

The Economic Commission Board is responsible for writing reports and making recommendations to the Conference of OPEC Oil Ministers on oil prices and other economic issues. It also assists OPEC in promoting stability in international oil prices at equitable levels.