*As Council Reviews Regional Development Policy And Agro-Export Plans
The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the release of N83.21 billion for flood preparedness and climate-related disaster mitigation across Nigeria, as the federal government intensified efforts to move from emergency response to preventive action in managing recurring environmental crises.
The approval was granted at the 158th meeting of the Council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday.
The council also considered a proposed National Regional Development Policy (NRDP) 2026–2030 aimed at addressing development disparities across the country and strengthening the operations of regional development commissions.
Addressing the meeting, Vice President Shettima challenged state governments to work closely with the federal government in removing logistical and compliance obstacles that continue to prevent Nigerian agricultural products from accessing international markets.
He stressed that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was at a stage where reforms must translate into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens.
“When this Council last met, I called our economy a workshop. A place of measurement and correction. A place where plans are turned into systems, and systems into institutions, before any of it becomes prosperity.
“A workshop is judged by one thing. Not by the plans pinned to its walls, but by what comes off the bench. We return to that bench today. Not to admire the image, but to ask the question that honours it. Is the work taking shape?” the Vice President said.
According to him, the council’s interventions must ultimately be measured by their impact on ordinary Nigerians, particularly farmers, manufacturers, vulnerable citizens, unemployed youths and future generations.
“The assignment has not changed. We remain a federation moving from stabilisation to production, from aspiration to implementation, from isolated interventions to coordinated national growth. What has changed, I hope, is our proximity to delivery.
“A federation does not earn its prosperity by leaving its most vulnerable behind and hoping they catch up. The dignity of the citizen with the least is the floor beneath which we have resolved that no Nigerian shall fall”, he added.
Shettima described the social protection agenda before the council as an opportunity to institutionalise support systems capable of protecting vulnerable citizens while strengthening human capital development.
On economic diversification and exports, the Vice President said Nigeria could no longer afford to remain an exporter of raw materials while importing finished products.
“We cannot continue to export raw materials and import finished prosperity”, he declared.
He explained that sustainable economic transformation would depend on creating an integrated value chain linking agricultural production to manufacturing, quality standards, logistics infrastructure and international markets.
The Vice President assured that government would address bottlenecks affecting agricultural exports, particularly challenges associated with port operations and compliance with international standards.
“A nation that cannot move its goods has imprisoned its own farmers. Meeting international standards is not submission to foreign demand. It is the price of the markets that will reward our labour”, he said.
The approval of the flood intervention fund followed a presentation by the Minister for Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, who briefed the Council on measures required to proactively address flooding and related disasters during the rainy season.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State disclosed that NEC approved N83.21 billion, representing 50 per cent of the N166.42 billion requested by the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF), established to coordinate early responses to flooding and climate-related emergencies.
Otu described the intervention as a major departure from Nigeria’s traditional disaster management approach, which has largely focused on post-disaster relief.
“I want you to know that this is the first time, as a nation, that we are taking proactive steps. Most times, we wait until floods have caused significant damage before taking action. This time, under the leadership of the Chairman of the Council, the Vice President, we are taking proactive measures to mitigate the potential impact of flooding, which has become a recurring challenge”, he said.
The governor noted that council members agreed that government must move away from reacting to disasters after they occur.
“Council underscored the importance of the Anticipatory Action Task Force in addressing disasters and climate-related emergencies across the country. Members agreed that NEC must not always be seen reacting to disasters after they occur but should take steps to prevent or mitigate their impact”, he said.
Explaining the decision to approve only half of the requested amount, Otu said the Council sought to strike a balance between available resources and the need for immediate intervention.
“We felt it was important to begin putting measures in place. As we evaluate and assess the situation going forward, the council will certainly make additional provisions where necessary.
“You also have to look at the intervention within the context of available resources. The idea is to deploy what is currently available in a proactive manner and establish mechanisms that can reduce the impact of flooding before it occurs.
“That is essentially why the council decided to reduce the proposal by 50 per cent. As we move forward and continue to evaluate the situation, more adequate provisions can be made where required”, he stated.
Also responding to the same line of questioning, the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, said the funding represented only the first phase that will consider immediate intervention with longer-term infrastructure solutions, including reservoirs designed to address flooding driven by the periodic release of water from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam.
According to Mutfwang, “Even in addition to that, we quite understand the long-term plans which have to be put in place for this flood to actually be put to an end to this perennial flooding every now and then.
“Like my own state, we are building some reservoirs to make sure, because the flood we have, apart from the one that comes with climate change and the rains, there is the other one that comes when the Cameroon Dam is opened. That puts states across the south in a lot of danger.
“It is commendable that this particular year, under the distinguished chairman of council, the Vice President, we are being proactive for the first time, because most of the time the intervention comes after we’ve lost a lot of property and life.
“But this time around there’s going to be that prevention in a way that will be able to contain whatever is going to come our way.
“We understand the long-term measures, the medium-term measures, and of course this is just the first intervention to make sure that we are prepared even before it starts coming. Whether N83bn will do is something that we are going to start with what we have at the moment”, he said.
The approval comes amid forecasts of severe flooding in several parts of the country during the 2026 rainy season and ongoing efforts by federal and state governments to strengthen climate resilience and disaster preparedness.
On regional development, the Council considered the proposed National Regional Development Policy 2026–2030 presented by the Ministry of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh.
Briefing journalists on the presentation, the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, said the policy is designed to provide a coordinated framework for balanced and inclusive development across Nigeria’s regions, while addressing persistent spatial inequalities and fragmented development interventions.
Council members noted that the framework aligns with the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2026–2030 and seeks to institutionalise global best practices in regional planning and implementation.
Among its objectives are providing strategic oversight for regional development initiatives, coordinating development master plans for regional development commissions in collaboration with state governments, and aligning regional programmes with the Tinubu administration’s priorities in economic growth, food security, infrastructure, healthcare, education, energy, industrialisation, innovation and the digital economy.
The Council also considered proposals for state-level adoption of the policy framework and the establishment of a Regional Development Bank to support implementation.
At the conclusion of deliberations, NEC directed the Minister of Regional Development to circulate the draft policy to state governors for review and input, while consultations are to be held with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to ensure broad sub-national ownership of the initiative.
The Council said the policy would deepen collaboration between federal and state governments, strengthen the effectiveness of regional development commissions and provide a coordinated strategy for tackling development imbalances across the federation.
Also briefing, the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, revealed details of a presentation made by the Chairman of the Nigerian Agro Export Setup Committee on the need to achieve international ship and port facility security compliance, eliminate export bottlenecks and strengthen Nigeria’s agro-export value chain.
“There was a presentation on the need to achieve international ship and port facility security compliance, eliminate export bottlenecks, and strengthen the Nigerian agro-export value chain”, he said.
Adeleke noted that the Council was informed that crude oil currently accounts for 80 per cent of Nigeria’s export revenue, while an estimated $50bn in annual agro-export potential remains unlocked, tied to compliance with International Ship and Port Facility Security code requirements across six major crops including sesame, ginger, soybean and cashew.
He said council’s resolutions on the matter included prioritising full ISPS code compliance as a critical national economic and security objective, assuming full funding responsibility for ISPS infrastructure across seaports, inland dry ports and export corridors, and approving the establishment of a dedicated national agro-export board.
“Council directed the Chairman of the Nigerian Agro Export Setup Committee to meet with the Minister of Digital and Blue Economy and the Export Promotion Council and fine-tune the proposal for further presentation”, Adeleke said.
The NEC also received an update on the balances in key national reserve and stabilisation accounts from the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, represented by the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, said the Council was informed that as of June 17, 2026, the Excess Crude Account (ECA) stood at $535,823,000.39, while the Stabilisation Account had a balance of N79,062,797,770.43. She added that the Natural Resources Development Account recorded a balance of N200,691,524,110.89.
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