Shettima At NEC Meeting: Citizens Need Urgent Response to National Disaster, Insecurity

• Council moves to strengthen national emergency response, okays 112 as lifeline

• Directs finance ministry to release approved funds for rehabilitation of police training institutions

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that what Nigerian citizens currently desire is urgent response from government  to national disaster and insecurity ravaging the nation.

According to him, the issue of bureaucracy should not be an hindrance in proferring solution to the identified problems.

Speaking on Thursday while presiding over the monthly National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, the Vice President urged NEC members comprising of all the 36 state governors, some ministers, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), among others, to focus on decisions that would have impact positively on the lives of Nigerians.

His words: “History will not ask how many meetings we held. It will ask what changed because we met. It will ask whether our decisions reached the farmer, the manufacturer, the artist, the investor, the accident victim, the unemployed graduate, and the child waiting to inherit the country we are rebuilding.”

Shettima described NEC as the nation’s economic engine room, where the Federal Government and the states must convert the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu into practical outcomes.

 “We cannot build our way to a one-trillion-dollar economy by federal effort alone. We cannot create millions of jobs by speeches alone. We cannot expand exports, attract investment, secure communities, or unlock productivity unless every tier of government understands its role and performs it with urgency,” he noted.

NEC approved the adoption of 112 as the National Emergency Number at all levels and across relevant agencies as part of measures to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency lifeline and build a unified and coordinated national response to emergencies. 

Council also approved the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee and programme coordination led by the Office of the Vice President and National Communications Commission (NCC).

The approval was part of decisions taken against the 157th meeting of NEC held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Shettima said the 112 emergency lifeline had become necessary to prevent delay caused by bureaucratic bottlenecks, noting that what the citizens seek urgently when confronted by natural disaster or insecurity is an urgent response and not bureaucracy.

“This is not only a technical reform. It is a test of the state’s humanity. In moments of fire, accident, robbery, medical emergency, flood, violence, or panic, citizens do not need bureaucracy.

“They need response. They need to know one number to call, one system to trust, and one coordinated chain of action that moves quickly enough to save lives,” he stated.

The Vice President explained that while Nigeria is not beginning from zero, as the emergency number had been in existence, what is required at the moment “is coordination, adoption, standard operating procedures, public awareness, institutional ownership, and trust.”

 NEC also received a presentation on the rehabilitation of Police Training institutions across the country from its adhoc committee led by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and commended the adhoc committee for the work done so far.

It also called on the Ministry of Finance to expedite the release of the balance of approved funds for the take-off of the project and urged the committee to ensure national spread by capturing training institutions in each geopolitical zone in the first phase of the intervention.

Other highlights of the meeting include update on Account Balances as at April 27, 2026.

The update for the accountant balances was given to Council the Accountant General of the Federation on the direction of the Minister of Finance as follows: Excess Crude Account: $535,823.39;  Stabilization Account : N72,844,895,696.42 and   Natural Resources Account: N158,192,972,997.04.

Council received a presentation on the NEC ad hoc committee on the eradication of polio across the country.

NEC noted the extensive work done and ongoing across the country, particularly the strengthening of political commitment and coordination in the fight to completely eradicate polio in Nigeria.

Most significantly, Council noted the update about the second group of 12 states comprising Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe, Kwara, and Nasarawa, who will initiate vaccination efforts from May 2.

The Committee requests that state health teams to deliver targeted support and oversight, ensuring that all eligible children are covered.

That the Chairman of Council should kindly approve the expansion of the Ad Hoc Committee on Polio from six to include seven additional high-risk states (Jigawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger, Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa), ensuring full political oversight across all high-risk states.

The expansion will strengthen coordination, enhance accountability, and accelerate progress toward polio eradication.

Council approved the expansion of the ad hoc committee to include seven additional high-risk states of Jigawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger, Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa states, ensuring full political oversight across all high-risk states and strengthening of coordinated and enhanced accountability as well as accelerate progress toward polio eradication.

The Council received a presentation from the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, titled “Addendum to NEC Approval for the Renewed Hope Cultural Project and Naija Season.”

The presentation requested the release of catalytic funding for national implementation of the project.

It stressed that the Renewed Hope Cultural Project focuses on the preservation and restoration of historic sites, palaces, and monuments; capacity building; the establishment of Renewed Hope Creative and Cultural Villages; and the promotion of Nigerian culture and tourism assets across the country.

NEC noted the point that Naija Season is Nigeria’s first unified national cultural and tourism calendar, designed to aggregate and promote the festivals, cultural events, tourism attractions, and creative economy activities of all 36 states and the FCT under one coordinated platform.

The Council was informed that the projected economic impact includes up to 1 million jobs by 2030; increased diaspora inflows, and a stronger global cultural influence.

Council was requested to approve the contribution of N200 million each by sub-nationals or any approved amount deemed fit, towards local execution and tourism activation, aimed at ensuring shared responsibility and shared benefits.

Council approved the request for the contribution of N200 million each by sub-nationals towards local execution and tourism activation

Council also called for robust engagement with sub-nationals for actualization of the project.

Council was briefed on the industrial execution of the National Industrial Policy (NIP), 2025.

Council was informed that the finalized document underwent a rigorous validation process, including approval and adoption by the Federal Executive Council.

Council was further briefed that the NIP targets sectors with strong comparative advantages and high employment potential across several areas, including agro-allied industries, metals and solid minerals, oil and gas industrial activities, pharmaceuticals and medicals, as well as non-manufacturing activities.

Council was also informed that the Nigeria Industrial Cluster Programme (N-MICP) requires investment to develop the 76 clusters sampled, with the potential to generate total revenue of $2.74 billion over 25 years.

Council noted the presentation of the Minister of State for Industry and commended his efforts in revamping the national industrial ecosystem, particularly, the development of sub-national industrial policies to align state-level strategies with the NIP.