By Seyi Odewale
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has been named BusinessDay Newspaper’s Governor of the Year, with organisers citing governance reforms, investment readiness and economic competitiveness as major considerations behind the award.
The recognition was presented at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum, held at Eko Hotel in Lagos, where political leaders, business executives and economic policymakers gathered to review Nigeria’s investment climate.
The Deputy Governor received the award on behalf of Yusuf.
BusinessDay Publisher and Chief Executive Officer, Frank Aigbogun, said the recognition followed assessments under the States Competitiveness and Investment Readiness Awards framework.
The organisers said Kano had distinguished itself in attracting investment and repositioning itself economically.
In his acceptance remarks, delivered by his deputy, Yusuf described the honour as a validation of his administration’s development strategy.
“This recognition reflects the collective efforts of our government in delivering people-centred governance.”
The governor said investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, commerce and industrialisation were gradually changing the state’s economic outlook.
He pledged to consolidate Kano’s position as Northern Nigeria’s commercial capital through policies targeted at enterprise growth and job creation.
“We remain committed to policies that support investment and create opportunities for our young people.”
The governor dedicated the award to residents of Kano, as well as to public institutions and private-sector stakeholders who contributed to the state’s development efforts.
He also pledged deeper commitments to transparency, accountability and inclusive governance.
