Shettima: We Must Form Strong Alliance to end Poverty, Improve Lives of Nigerians

•Insecurity: FCT, Adamawa, Kwara, Sokoto, Kebbi delay NEC decision on state police

•Get Monday deadline to submit reports 

•Council constitutes flood disaster committee

•As 36 states get N3bn to ameliorate flood effects 

•Bill Gates to invest $2.8bn to boost agric, healthcare, nutrition in Nigeria

Deji Elumoye

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for strong alliance among key players in government at all levels and development partners in the bid to end poverty in the country and enhance the quality of life of citizens.

Shettima spoke yesterday during the 144th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) held at State House, Abuja.

The council took critical decisions bordering on the economy, including state police as part of measures to curb rising insecurity. Insecurity had adversely affected crop farming in parts of the country and caused food shortages, as many farmers could not access their farms.

NEC issued a final call to state governments that had yet to submit their memoranda on the establishment of state police to do so by September 9 or be bound by the resolutions agreed upon by other council members.

Four states – Adamawa, Kebbi, Kwara, and Sokoto – along with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were yet to make their submissions.

Shettima said the efforts to end poverty would remain ineffective if those in the business of governance did not align with one another to create a conducive environment where every Nigerian could thrive and develop their potential.

He suggested ways to address the immediate needs of the citizens, including building sustainable systems to empower the people to become self-reliant and prosperous.

He acknowledged that though the problems inherited by the administration of President Bola Tinubu could not be solved overnight, Nigerians were in urgent need of quick and impactful measures to ameliorate the hard economic conditions.

Shettima stated, “Our commitment to alleviating poverty and enhancing the quality of life for all Nigerians will never materialise if we do not align with one another. We must strive to create an environment where every Nigerian has the opportunity to thrive.

“This includes not only addressing immediate needs but also building sustainable systems that empower our citizens to become self-reliant and prosperous.”

He commended the efforts of development partners, particularly the co-chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, and Chairman of Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who were at the NEC meeting.

The vice president described Dangote and Gates as “two distinguished individuals whose commitment to Nigeria’s progress is unparalleled”.

He said both men had invested enormous resources into the welfare of Nigerians, spanning critical areas, such as health, nutrition, agriculture, and education.

According to him, “Their philanthropy is not seasonal but a steadfast commitment that continues to shape our nation’s future. We did not survive the lowest points of our journey as a nation by the proactivity of the government alone; we did so because we remained partners in rain and sunshine.”

Shettima added, “So, permit me to once again extend the nation’s deepest gratitude to our guests, whose empathy has always shone through whenever they are needed.

“Mr. Gates, in particular, has been a steadfast friend of Nigeria, contributing immensely to our nation’s inclusive economic growth and the well-being of our people in both tumult and tranquillity. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has recently approved a significant investment—the Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator (NCIA).

“This initiative, championed by my office and hosted by the Lagos Business School, in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group, sets out to revolutionise our cassava industry, an essential pillar of our economy and food security.”

For the state governments, the vice president said as sub-nationals in the federation, they were all “stakeholders in redefining the future” of Nigeria.

He said, “We are gathered here because none of us can fulfil the goals of guaranteeing the survival of our people in isolation. Whether by expanding access to quality education, improving healthcare, or offering skills training and job opportunities, it is clear that each one of us has the power to influence policy and decisions at various levels.

“Our success relies on recognising the socio-economic threats that have pulled us down the development index and, more importantly, on our resolve to walk the talk.”

Underscoring the importance of investment in food security, Shettima commended the efforts and reforms made so far by state governors to boost agriculture.

He stated, “However, we must not overlook the state of nutrition in our nation, which has led to stunting and other health challenges. This is a crisis that demands our unified attention and action. The future of this nation hinges on the health and well-being of our children.”

NEC took some decisions on flooding, nutrition, state police, and polio eradication.

On flood, the council gave the greenlight for the full implementation of the approved recommendations from its Ad-hoc Committee on Flood, Erosion, Drought, and Desertification.

The decision came after a recent memorandum submitted by the committee’s chairman, Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo.

The report outlined a comprehensive Roadmap on Flood, Erosion, Drought, and Desertification, complete with detailed timelines.

Each of the ministries, departments, and agencies (MDA) of government was assigned specific responsibilities, with the creation of task forces recommended for inter-agency collaboration where necessary. The aim was to move away from the reliance on ad-hoc committees formed during the onset of the rainy season.

One of the report’s cardinal recommendations was establishment of the National Flood, Erosion, Drought, and Desertification Management Council (NFEDDMC) under the Office of the Vice President.

NFEDDMC will coordinate inter-agency efforts, ensure real-time information flow, and facilitate a unified response to natural disasters across the country.

The vice president will chair the council, which will included the following members: governors of Kogi, Bayelsa, Oyo, Ebonyi, Bauchi and Jigawa states.

Others were Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation; Minister of State, Environment; Directors-General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Nigeria Meteorological Agency, National Water Resources Institute, and National Emergency Management Agency

Managing Directors of National Inland Waterways Authority, Niger Delta Development Commission, and North East Development Commission were also members.

The governors expressed their appreciation to the federal government for the recent disbursement of N3 billion to each state to assist in addressing immediate challenges, particularly those caused by flood and other natural disasters.

Regarding state police, NEC issued a final call to state governments yet to submit their memoranda on the establishment of state police to do so, failure which they would be bound by the decisions of other council members.

NEC also received a presentation on the state of nutrition in Nigeria by Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate. Following the presentation, the council approved several critical resolutions aimed at enhancing the country’s nutritional outcomes.

Council agreed to prioritise nutrition interventions in the 2025 budget across federal, state, and local levels, ensuring that sufficient funding is allocated to meet the nation’s nutrition goals.

Additionally, the council resolved to reinforce the functionality and financing of State and Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition. It decided that the establishment and operation of Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) task forces at subnational levels will be supported to ensure effective coordination, monitoring, and reporting.

NEC also endorsed the N-774 programme as a primary platform for combating malnutrition within Nigerian communities and encouraged development partners to provide financial and technical assistance, particularly in the areas of annual results monitoring and scaling successful interventions.

The Accountant General of the Federation provided the council with an update on the Excess Crude Account, which currently stood at $473,754.57, the Natural Resources Fund with a balance of N3,451,078,538.57, and the Stabilisation Account with N33,875,398,389.75.

On polio, in response to a presentation by co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, the council resolved to establish a Committee on the Eradication of Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus (VDPV). This followed reports of VDPV cases in Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states.

The committee will be chaired by the governor of Gombe State and will include the governors of the five affected states. Other members will include Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Director-General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and representatives from the NEC secretariat and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Additionally, Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change, Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, a representative of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, and Director-General of Nigeria Governors’ Forum will also serve on the committee. The committee will be reporting monthly to NEC.

Briefing newsmen after the NEC meeting,  Acting Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal, said four states were yet to turn in their reports on the creation of state police.

According to him, NEC has given the affected states and FCT up till September 9 to turn in their reports or they would be bound by any decision taken by the council.

Lawal said, “An update on the establishment of state police was considered and this was as a result of the security situation challenges that we have across the nation in North-east, North-central, South-west, South-east, and South-south, so that we would have a robust security in our nation.

“For that purpose, sometime last year, NEC considered the establishment of state police and asked states to make submissions for consideration. Today, all the states were supposed to submit for consideration of the NEC. Incidentally, four states couldn’t submit for that purpose.

“NEC decided that those states must make their submissions on or before Monday, 9th September, otherwise, whatever decision NEC takes on the establishment of state police is binding on those states that refused to make submission. So, that is the resolution as at today’s NEC meeting.”

Governor Abdul Sule of Nasarawa State announced the reconstitution of the flood committee following the reports of flood disasters in some states.

Sule said the committee was constituted as part of the governance structure to ensure the interventions will not be ad-hoc.

According to him, committee members include the governors of Kogi, Oyo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Bayelsa and Jigawa states.

Others are Minister of State for Water Resources, his environment counterpart, Directors-General of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and National Water Resources Institute (NWRI). The committee also has Managing Directors of the Nigerian Inland Water Ways (NIWA), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and North East Development Commission (NEDC).

Sule disclosed that council had given Monday as the deadline for the submission of the details of damages suffered by the flood affected states.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State stated that NEC discussed the flood situation in the country exhaustively.

Mohammed said the governors acknowledged the support of the federal government in terms of releasing N3 billion as a measure to ensure that they provided at least palliative for the flood.

According to him, the flood is more devastating along the North-east axis, where a major artery between Kano and Maiduguri has been cut off with devastating effects on households, schools, bridges and other means of livelihood.

Mohammed also said lives were lost and a lot of property were destroyed.

He stated, “Of course, that has really provided a big challenge to us as a government and as a people in our states because we need to provide more of food security. Already, farmlands are submerged and, therefore, there’s need for collaboration between all the tiers of government to ensure food security.”

He emphasised, “The need for planning, collaboration and interaction to do that during the harvest time because the bumper harvest may not be as envisaged. So, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and all our subnational ministries are supposed to collaborate and ensure that something comprehensive is done.

“I know there has been a lot of devastation and we have been asked to give an inventory of destruction before Monday. But other measures of governance in terms of governance structure has been established by council.”

Co-Chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Bill Gates, who was invited to the NEC meeting, announced a $2.8 billion investment in Nigeria aimed at enhancing the country’s healthcare, nutrition, and agricultural sectors.

Addressing the NEC-in-session, the United States billionaire and philanthropist stressed the critical need to invest in Nigeria’s greatest resource, its people, while addressing the economic challenges the country faces.

Gates has been a long-time supporter of development in Nigeria, with his foundation’s commitment to the country now totalling over $2.8 billion, the largest in Africa.

His remarks to the NEC highlighted both the challenges and opportunities facing Nigeria, especially in the wake of economic stagnation and rising national debt.

He underlined the importance of prioritising primary healthcare, stating that without health, “there can be no opportunity”.

Gates also pointed out that despite Nigeria’s wealth, the country spent just N3,000 per person annually on primary healthcare, a ratio that he said should be reversed.

He urged Nigerian leaders to increase funding for primary healthcare and to ensure timely disbursement of allocated resources.

Gates praised recent efforts, such as the successful HPV vaccination campaign, that reached over 12 million Nigerian girls in just one month.

He stressed the need for continuous improvement, particularly in data-driven decision-making, to optimise healthcare delivery and workforce management.

On nutrition, Gates highlighted the alarming rate of child malnutrition in Nigeria, which contributed to nearly half of all child deaths.

He called for greater private-sector involvement in food fortification and urged state governments to ensure compliance with nutritional mandates.

Gates also discussed affordable interventions in maternal health, such as the use of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) that could prevent millions of cases of anaemia and save thousands of new-born lives.

In the agricultural sector, the renowned philanthropist expressed concern over Nigeria’s food insecurity, exacerbated by climate change and poor agricultural practices. He advocated increased funding for extension services, fertilisers, and infrastructure to support farmers.

Gates also encouraged the adoption of innovative crop varieties with higher yields and greater resistance to pests, such as the new cassava varieties developed with support from the Gates Foundation.

The philanthropist reaffirmed Gates Foundation’s long-term commitment to Nigeria and Africa.

He acknowledged the difficulties in turning around the country’s fortunes, but expressed optimism that with smart investments, innovative thinking, and dedicated leadership, Nigeria could build a better future.

According to him, “By putting the Nigerian people first, Nigeria’s leaders can build a better future, I still believe in the grand vision of Nigeria’s future, and that future depends on all of you.”