Banner Online News

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state

A group with the name National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria (NCCN) launching Nigeria’s first sub-national competitiveness index has scored Delta state low in its overall ranking on the operation of the State’s economy.
Out of a total of 36 states and the Federal Capital territory, Abuja, NCCN stated that Delta state came out a dismal 23 in ranking.
The Council in producing its ranking on the economy, which placed Lagos State at number one position with Rivers State, Sokoto and Kebbi States coming second, third and fourth respectively stated that the states were judged on the operation of the economy that has to do with access to finance, state finances, business registration and tax.
What this means is that the economic indicators that should propel delta state to function optimally in a way that will reflect positively in the wellbeing of the people were absent because of low liquidity.
Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr. Kingsley Emu, flanked by his Information counterpart, Mr. Patrick Ukah explaining the gloomy rating of the state’s economy away at a press conference today in Asaba, attributed it to the low financial accrual to the state from the federation account on account of the militancy and pipe line vandalism that the state witnessed. The other reason according to Emu is the mono nature of the economy of the state which depended on accruals from oil only.
“In the economy, Delta state was rated 23rd. The bane was state finances and mono-economy. Most of the oil companies shut down and fled the state, the ports became shadows of themselves. Delta state was affected by the militancy that culminated in pipeline vandalism,” Emu stated.
He pointed out however, that what delta state lost in terms of the operation of the economy, it gained in other parameters used in judging all the states.
In the overall sub-national index ranking , Lagos state placed first with Delta coming second and Rivers and Niger state placing third and fourth respectively. It is in the area of Human capital that included education, health, migration and gender equality that Delta state made a remarkable showing clinching the first position, followed by Osun state, Enugu, Edo and Ekiti states.
On infrastructure development, the report places Rivers state in the first ranking position, followed by Lagos , Akwa ibom, Edo with Delta state in the fifth position, while in the area of institutions, with security, transparency, justice, corruption and permits as parameters, Niger state is ranked first position, followed by Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Bauchi with Delta State placing seventh in the ranking.
For Emu, the overall rating of delta state in coming out second to Lagos state in the sub-national index overall ranking is indicative that Delta state under Okowa is working, “irrespective of what propagandists would say. Delta state is working, and would continue to work,” Dr. Emu declared.
NCCN with offices at 22B, Idowu Taylor (Engineering Close), Victoria Island, Lagos stated that its first sub-national competitive index is the culmination of a two-year research into the factors that drive competitiveness in Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.