By Abbas Bamalli
The Katsina State Government, has flagged off the process towards the conduct of the State’s Gross Domestic Product (SGDP) survey to gauge the state economic performance.
Gov. Dikko Radda, announced this in Katsina on Tuesday, at the opening of a 5-day training for the project enumerators, supervisors and other stakeholders.
Radda represented by Alhaji Ibrahim Mu’azu-Safana, Permanent Secretary, state’s Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, said that the exercise would provide valuable insights into the performance of the state’s economy.
This he said include the contribution of various stakeholders, the growth rate of the state’s GDP, and the challenges needed to be addressed.
”It is salient that we have a metric for measuring overall economic activities in the state. The one that is often used by National and Sub-national is the GDP.
”That is why we are here to flag off the implementation of the state GDP,” the governor said.
He reiterated that the computed state GDP that would be produced at the end of the activities would be used in making informed fiscal reforms and evidence-based development plans.
The governor noted that the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), was based on some macroeconomic assumptions, which include the GDP and inflation.
”I charged the state’s Bureau of Statistics to work on the state-level inflation statistics. These two vital statistics shall be released timely to aid implementable economic planning in Katsina.
”We have started witnessing the fruits of our collective labour, as food insecurity is continually diminishing, and prices of produce are crashing.
”We will not relent until we ensure that access to affordable food is achieved by all and sundry in the state.
”Let me assure you without equivocation that the security improvement recorded in the state will be sustained to serve as an impetus that will drive investment,” he also said.
Radda revealed that the wisdom behind the establishment of the Katsina State Development Enterprises (KASEDA) was to transform MSMEs, in terms of capacity building and provision of supportive capital.
”I hope that all the more than 500,000 registered enterprises in the state will benefit from one intervention or the other without recourse to party politics.
”Similarly, my administration has placed a premium on Agriculture consistent with what is often described as an agrarian state,” he added.
Earlier, the state’s Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Malik Anas, said that the survey was a crucial step towards understanding the economic landscape of the state and identifying areas for growth and development.
Anas, represented by Alhaji Sa’idu Danrimi, a Director in the ministry, said that as the state strive to build a more prosperous and equitable society, it was essential to have accurate and reliable data to inform a decision.
”It will also provide the required macro-economic assumptions for the ongoing government reforms, including MTEF, MTSS and the entire budget process,” he said.
Anas commended the effort of the state governor and the state’s Statistician General, Prof. Saifullahi Sani-Ibrahim for working tirelessly to design and implement the survey.
In his remarks, the state’s Statistician, Prof. Saifullahi Sani-Ibrahim, said the main exercise was expected to commence across the state on March 24, 2025.
According to him, it has been the dream of the governor to see that all data that have been lacking in the state and will stand the test of time are generated.
NAN
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