Business
…Plans Statistics Bureau
Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi said a bureau of statistics which would assist in policy formation and implementation would soon be established in the state.
Governor Amaechi disclosed this yesterday during the flag-off of the state Gross Domestic Product (GDP) computation in Nigeria at the Rivers State House of Assembly, Port Harcourt.
Represented by his deputy, Engr Tele Ikuru, the state chief executive said the state had already passed into law, a bill intended to establish the Bureau of Statistics, stating that statistical determination of a state’s GDP would facilitate its policy implementation and planning on the welfare of the people and show how it has been able to equitably distribute its wealth among them.
He noted that Rivers State has been making efforts on keeping the statistical data on human development index and domestic product production, pointing out that the state was ranked highest in the country on human capital development in 2007 and would ensure it maintained this lead.
In his speech, the governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’Azu Babangida-Aliyu, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto expressed delight in being part of the occasion and described it as a milestone in the annals of Nigeria’s economic development, stressing that it would enhance the states’ resolve at adopting “evidence-based practices towards the economic transformation of the nation”.
Also speaking, the Minister of National Planning and Deputy chairman, National Planning Commission, Dr Shamsuddeen Usman commended Governor Amaechi for ‘his disposition and commitment to national development, explaining that the state measures the economics activities of the state and the nation at large. He said that the computation was on national basis but that the commission had deemed it necessary to encourage the states to ascertain the appropriate data on GDP.
In their separate speeches, the Central Bank Governor, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido, and the Secretary to the National Planning Commission, Mr Fidelis Ugbo stated that the flag-off was to provide opportunity for all stakeholders to share experiences on good practices in the computation of state GDP and to encourage state governments on the implementation of the programme.
Earlier, the state commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr Levi Gogo Charles said that the computation of the state GDP is critical to the trapping of every activity of the peoples of the states which had been left out in the calculation of national GDP over the years, adding that the programme is a good strategy in repositioning the economic development of the nation.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.