EVENTS: BusinessDay Good Governance Awards (November 2), Osun With Multiple Nominations

BusinessDay States’ Good Governance and Competitiveness Awards ceremony earlier scheduled to hold this month has been shifted to November 2 this year.
The awards aim to deepen peer review mechanism and inspire competitiveness among the states of the federation as well as reward hardworking governors whose efforts at developing their states are contributing to the growth of the national economy.
BusinessDay Research and Intelligence Unit (BRIU) will also be presenting its economic report on states at the dinner. The awards are a product of extensive tour of states across the country by BusinessDay editorial and research team.
The shift in date was necessitated by the Eid-el-Kabir celebration and the Christian pilgrimage. The awards ceremony will now hold on November 2 in Lagos.
BusinessDay Award Committee for the 2013 State Competitiveness and Good Governance Awards had in September released the names of state governments that met the minimum criteria for each of the award categories.
The 12 award categories are Excellence in Governance, Transparency in Governance, Best Governor in Urban and Rural Infrastructure Development, Best Governor in Education Development, Best Governor in Healthcare Development, and Best Governor in Agriculture Development.
Others are Best Governor in Tourism Development, Fastest Growing State Economy, Best Governor in Housing Development, the State with the Best Ease of Doing Business, Youth and Sport Development, and the State with the Most Improved Security.
An average of four state governments will compete under each award category.
The nominees for Excellence in Governance award are Akwa Ibom, Edo, Kano, Lagos, Osun and Rivers States. This award category aims to celebrate the state with the highest standards in governance.
For Transparency in Governance award, Anambra, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Kano, Lagos, Niger and Osun made it to the final round. Transparency in Governance award is meant to show the state government that is most accountable to its subjects.
Imo, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Edo, Kano, Lagos, Osun, Oyo and Rivers State governors were nominated for the Best Governor in Urban and Rural Infrastructure Development award. Similarly, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kano, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Rivers were nominated for the Best Governor in Education Development award category.
The award committee listed Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Ebonyi, Lagos, Niger, Ondo and Osun States as those that will compete for the Best Governor in Healthcare Development award category.
For the best Governor in Agriculture Development, Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Kano, Kwara, Niger and Ogun States were nominated.
Four states each will compete for the Best Governor in Tourism Development and Youth and Sport Development awards. They are Kebbi, Cross River, Ekiti and Osun States, and Delta, Cross River, Lagos and Rivers, respectively.
Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Rivers States were nominated for Fastest Growing State Economy award category. Similarly, Enugu, Kano, Abia, Akwa Ibom and Cross River will vie for the Best Governor in Housing Development award.
Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara and Yobe were nominated for the Best State with Ease of Doing Business award. In the same manner, Abia, Cross River and Rivers States were nominated for the State with the Most Improved Security award.
BUSINESS DAY