Shettima presides over NEC meeting
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday presided over the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The gathering marks the council’s first sitting since President Bola Tinubu renewed calls for the establishment of state police as part of measures to address Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
The NEC, which is constitutionally chaired by the Vice President, brings together state governors, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other top government officials to deliberate on economic and security issues affecting the country.
Although details of Thursday’s deliberations were still being awaited as of press time, sources within the Villa said discussions were expected to focus on the proposed framework for state policing, fiscal challenges facing the states, revenue allocation, as well as strategies to boost food production amid inflationary pressures.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of heightened insecurity in parts of the country, with calls from several governors and stakeholders for decentralised policing to complement federal security agencies.
President Tinubu, during a recent engagement, had restated his administration’s readiness to work with the National Assembly and the states to actualise the creation of state police, describing it as a “necessary step to secure Nigerians in their communities.”
The outcome of Thursday’s NEC meeting is expected to shape further policy directions on security and economic management in the months ahead.
