Shettima To Chair National Economic Council On Monday

The Federal Government will on Monday convene a National Economic Council (NEC) Conference aimed at strengthening economic coordination and accelerating inclusive growth across Nigeria’s 36 states.

The conference, scheduled for February 9 to 10, 2026, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, will be presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who chairs the council.

A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said the meeting would bring together state governors and key national stakeholders to deliberate on critical macroeconomic priorities.

The two-day conference, organised by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, will focus on fiscal coordination, investment mobilisation, and the development of shared strategies between the federal and state governments.

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The theme of the conference is “Delivering Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development: The Renewed Hope National Development Plan.”

It is expected to shape far-reaching policy directions for states as they align with the Federal Government’s long-term economic agenda.

According to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and Secretary of the NEC, Deborah Oko Odo, “the conference will focus on national economic issues aimed at encouraging economic growth and development across the country.”

President Bola Tinubu will attend the event as Special Guest of Honour, alongside senior government officials, development partners and private-sector leaders, as the Federal Government continues to deepen reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The National Economic Council has a constitutional mandate to advise the President on the economic affairs of the federation, particularly on measures required for coordinating the economic planning and programmes of federal and state governments.

Its membership includes the 36 state governors, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other co-opted officials.

At its 149th meeting in April 2025, the council endorsed the establishment of a Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board, as well as new strategies for agribusiness expansion and livestock transformation, initiatives projected to generate up to $90 billion in economic value by 2035.

The council also approved the creation of a national office for the Green Imperative Project in Abuja, with regional offices across the six geopolitical zones, and deliberated on measures to address challenges associated with the country’s current animal husbandry system.