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Governor Radda Appoints 30-year-old Economist, Khalil Nur Khalil as Economic Adviser
The Executive Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, PhD, has approved the appointment of Khalil Nur Khalil (@KTP92) as Economic Adviser to the Katsina State Government.
Khalil Nur Khalil was born on November 18th, 1992, in Kaduna State and is from Bakori LGA in Katsina State.
He is a graduate of the Eastern Mediterranean University, North Cyprus, and holds a first-class (High Honours) degree in Economics and was the best graduating student in the Economics department with a 3.98/4.00 CGPA.
Khalil previously held the position of the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA) where he rose through the ranks from a copper in 2018 to Technical Assistant to the Executive Secretary, Manager of Investor Relations, Acting Head of the Investor Relations department, and then Director of the Investment Intelligence Department before ultimately heading the agency in October 2021 when he was appointed as the Executive Secretary at the age of 28.
His stellar performance as the ES of KADIPA, contributed to the increased visibility of Kaduna State on the global map where his agency played a key role in successfully growing the state’s economy, attracting more than a billion dollars in private sector investments, creating thousands of jobs, commissioning more than 13 major investment projects in less than a year and a half, and also contributing towards increasing the state’s internally generated revenues. Under his leadership at KADIPA, he was instrumental in the creation of the Ginger Investment Policy and Strategy, the drafting and passing of the renewed KADIPA/PPP law, and the Kaduna State Startup Law 2023 (where Kaduna became the first Subnational in Nigeria to domesticate the Startup Act).
Khalil will bring his invaluable public service experience in subnational economic development to assist in revitalizing Katsina State’s economy and repositioning it to become an investment haven in Nigeria.
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AWESSA 2026: Customs Assures Border Cooperation for Women Entrepreneurs
By James Samuel, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service has said the nation’s borders must become gateways of opportunity for African women entrepreneurs, not obstacles that kill their businesses.
This was disclosed at the African Women’s Economic Sovereignty Summit and Awards (AWESSA) 2026 held at the Customs House, corporate headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, his representative, an Assistant Controller, said hosting the summit inside Customs premises was deliberate.
“That this summit holds within the Customs premises is no accident. It is a statement of intent,” he said.
“The border is where the promise of every African trader either comes alive or dies quietly. And the men and women of this Service have resolved that for every woman entrepreneur of this continent, that promise will never die.”
He said women account for an estimated 70% of informal cross-border trade in Africa and over half of agricultural labour, yet they face documentation, standards, finance and harassment challenges.
“Too often she meets the border as an obstacle rather than a gateway. Because she trades in small volumes, in cash, in informality without formal papers, capable business women are now trapped in informality, invisible to trade statistics,” he noted.
He added: “AfCFTA will not be delivered by treaties alone. It will be delivered at border posts, in conference halls, and in market stores.”
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, represented by a Director, said women are central to Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.
According to her, NEPC’s focus is now on building export- ready competitive enterprises through programmes like the Women in Export Initiative, Export Clinic, and Zero to Export.
“Our focus is no longer on encouraging exports alone, it is on building competitive export-ready enterprises. We are supporting women to move beyond production into value addition, quality assurance, standard compliance, branding and market positioning,” she said.
She said AfCFTA offers a market of over one billion people, but women need knowledge, certifications and institutional support.
“Empowering women economically is one of the most effective tools for achieving poverty reduction, food security, job creation and inclusive growth,” she stated.
The Convener, Helen Okon, who is the Publisher of Business Review Africa & Africa Today Magazine, as well as representatives of NAFDAC DG and NEXIM Bank MD, reaffirmed commitment to supporting women-owned businesses access standards, certification and finance.
The summit, with the theme of positioning women as drivers of trade and sustainable development, is part of activities marking the International Year of the Women Farmer.
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