Shettima to Governors: Make growth touch everyday Nigerians
…describes NEC as best vehicle for delivering Renewed Hope development promise …states key to macro outcomes, pledge disciplined implementation of reforms – NGF …Tinubu’s reforms strengthening fiscal conditions, boosting global
...describes NEC as best vehicle for delivering Renewed Hope development promise
...states key to macro outcomes, pledge disciplined implementation of reforms - NGF
...Tinubu’s reforms strengthening fiscal conditions, boosting global confidence - Bagudu
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday urged governors of the 36 states, ministers, and other public officials to pursue an inclusive economic growth model that filters down to the everyday lives of Nigerians, warning that the government's mission would remain incomplete if progress does not translate into dignity, opportunity, and hope for citizens across the country.
Shettima spoke in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the opening of the National Economic Council (NEC) Conference, a two-day retreat of governors and key stakeholders aimed at strengthening national economic coordination and accelerating inclusive growth.
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In a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said, “The inclusive growth on our radar is not an exercise in sloganeering. We have confronted the macroeconomic obstacles before us. What remains is to ensure that progress filters down to the everyday lives of our people”.
The Vice President said global thinking has moved beyond growth for growth’s sake to sustainable growth that accommodates all citizens, stressing that NEC remains the most suitable vehicle for delivering the promise of inclusive growth.
“Our mission is incomplete if a child born in Lafia does not have the same chance to thrive as one born in Lagos; if the farmer in Makurdi, the entrepreneur in Aba, and the student in Sokoto cannot all find dignity, opportunity, and hope within the Nigerian dream,” Shettima declared.
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He described the conference as a continuation of the government's covenant with Nigerians and said it also reflected the harmonious relationship President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shared with NEC during what he called “memorable years” of reforms aimed at resetting the foundations of the economy.
Shettima applauded Tinubu for improving Nigeria’s economic fortunes, saying it would be difficult to deny the sincerity with which the President has worked to insulate the economy in a world shaped by geopolitical tensions and rising protectionism.
On the objectives of the retreat, the Vice President said it would help onboard new governors and deepen the shared understanding of the NEC’s role in shaping Nigeria’s economic destiny.
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He said the conference seeks to align federal and state strategies with the National Development Plan (2021–2025) and Nigeria Agenda 2050, particularly in poverty reduction, job creation, and social protection.
He listed other goals to include strengthening inter-regional trade, investment, and infrastructure cooperation; exploring pathways for fiscal sustainability at federal and subnational levels; reforming tax systems and improving internally generated revenue without overburdening citizens; and ensuring NEC resolutions translate into legislative and executive action with tangible outcomes.
Shettima urged participants to be bold, courageous, and resolute in crafting an implementable roadmap for inclusive, sustainable, and transformative growth.
“History will not judge us by what we discuss, but by the clarity of the actions and the impact inspired by such decisions,” he said.
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Also speaking, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said states remain central to shaping macroeconomic outcomes through investment decisions, tax administration, and service delivery.
He described NEC as “the engine room of economic leadership, not merely an advisory body,” and pledged states’ support for inclusive growth under the Renewed Hope National Development Plan.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who convened the conference, commended Tinubu’s sustained engagement with NEC as a sign of respect for Nigeria’s federal structure, saying recent reforms had strengthened fiscal conditions and boosted international confidence.
“Sustaining domestic consensus and intergovernmental cooperation is vital to achieving our long-term economic ambitions,” Bagudu said, expressing hope that the retreat would help build consensus for Nigeria’s trillion-dollar economy aspiration.
Private sector and development partners at the conference also called for stronger collaboration, stressing that Nigeria’s progress would depend on coordinated execution at state and community levels, backed by fiscal discipline and socially legitimate implementation of reforms.
