Shettima presides over NEC meeting… 

Vice President Kashim Shettima presided over the 137th meeting of the National Economic Council held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The fourth in the Tinubu administration, Thursday’s gathering comes nearly two months after the Council last convened on September 28 to consider priority areas for the next three and half years, including economic stability, welfare and security.

In his opening address at the last NEC meeting titled, ‘Planning for Stability: Our Agenda for Economic Growth in 2024’, VP Shetimma reminded the governors and other members of NEC that the weight of the tough decisions to rescue Nigeria’s economy depends on their cooperation and goodwill.

NEC, a statutory body mandated to advise the President on the nation’s economic affairs, is chaired by the Vice President, with the Governors of the 36 states of the federation, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Minister of Finance and other stakeholders as members.

Present at this month’s sitting, which is likely to be the last for 2023, are all governors except those of Akwa Ibom, Kano, Lagos, Enugu, Osun, Borno, Nasarawa and Adamawa States who are represented by their deputies.

However, it was observed that neither Governor Godwin Obaseki nor his deputy, Philip Shaibu, were present as the seat designated for the state remained vacant after the meeting commenced.