* Assures Nigerians of possible release of additional funds after assessment of flood threats nationwide
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday rose from its monthly meeting with an approval of the sum of N83.2 billion for the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF) interventions aimed at mitigating the impact of anticipated flooding and other climate-related emergencies across the country.
This is coming just as the Chairman of the Council, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, called on states to work with the Federal Government in resolving the logistical and compliance barriers that prevent farm produce from reaching international markets.
The approval of the N83.2 bilion intervention funds at the 158th meeting of NEC followed a presentation to Council by the Minister of State, Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, on the need to proactively address issues associated with flooding across Nigeria, particualrly during the rainy season.
In addition, the council noted the importance of the AATF in addressing disasters and emergencies across the country, underscoring the fact that NEC cannot continue to be seen as always taking reactionary measures with regards to emergency and disaster management.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, said NEC approved N83.21 billion, representing 50 per cent of the amount requested under the AATF, established to coordinate early interventions against flooding and other climate-related disasters.
The proposal had sought approval for the disbursement of N166.42 billion through the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) mechanism to designated implementing agencies and beneficiaries.
According to Otu, the intervention marks a significant shift from the country’s traditional disaster response model, which often focuses on post-disaster relief rather than preventive action.
“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.
He explained that NEC recognised the growing threat posed by annual flooding and agreed that government must move from a reactive to a preventive approach in tackling natural disasters.
“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 added.
Justifying the decision to cut the proposal by 50 per cent, Otu said the council was guided by the need to balance available resources with the urgency of early intervention.
According to him, “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.”
The approval comes amid forecasts of severe flooding in several parts of the country during the 2026 rainy season and growing efforts by federal and state governments to strengthen disaster preparedness and climate resilience.
In another separate presentation, NEC considered the proposed National Regional Development Policy (NRDP) 2026-2030, presented by the Ministry of Regional Development as a framework for promoting balanced and inclusive development across Nigeria.
The council noted that the policy had become imperative in view of persistent spatial inequalities, fragmented regional interventions, alignment with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2026-2030 and the need to institutionalise global best practices in regional development planning.
According to the presentation, the policy seeks to provide strategic oversight for the formulation and implementation of regional development initiatives, coordinate development master plans for the regional development commissions in collaboration with state governments and supervise the operations of the commissions.
The framework is also expected to align regional development programmes with the Tinubu administration’s priority areas, including economic growth, food security, national security, energy development, infrastructure expansion, education, healthcare, social investment, industrialisation, innovation and the digital economy.
Among the key proposals before the council were the endorsement of the NRDP 2026-2030 approval of the Regional Development Policy Framework mechanism, support for state-level adoption of the policy and backing for the establishment of a Regional Development Bank.
At the end of deliberations, NEC directed the Minister of Regional Development to circulate the draft policy to state governors for review and input, while also mandating consultations with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to secure broad sub-national participation and ownership.
The council said the initiative would deepen cooperation between the federal and state governments, strengthen the operations of the regional development commissions and provide a coordinated framework for addressing development imbalances across the federation.
Speaking earlier at the meeting, the vice-president said President Tinubu’s administration’s reform agenda must now produce visible results across the federation.
Shettima noted that the council’s work must be judged by what changes in the lives of ordinary Nigerians, especially farmers, manufacturers, vulnerable citizens, unemployed young people and children who will inherit the country.
His words: “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 Nigeria remains a federation moving from stabilisation to production, from aspiration to implementation, and from isolated interventions to coordinated national growth.
According to him, the agenda before the council was not a new conversation, but a continuation of the national assignment with greater pressure for action and results.
“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 said.
Shettima pointed out that the social protection agenda before the council was an opportunity to convert national conscience into a durable system that protects citizens and strengthens human capital.
On exports and production, Shettima said Nigeria must stop relying on the export of raw materials while importing finished prosperity from other countries.
He maintained that the country’s economic transformation depends on a complete value chain linking farms to factories, factories to standards, standards to ports, and ports to markets.
“We cannot continue to export raw materials and import finished prosperity,” he said.
The vice-president also assured Nigerians that the council would confront bottlenecks that weaken Nigeria’s agricultural exports, especially the challenges affecting movement of goods through the ports and the standards required by international markets.
He stated that improving port processes and meeting export compliance requirements are central to rewarding farmers, strengthening manufacturers and expanding Nigeria’s participation in global trade.
“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,” the vice-president added.
