The Vice President Kashim Shettima has charged State Governors to ensure that the impacts of the economic gains recorded by the Federal Government are felt at the grassroots in the country.
Shettima said this in his remarks at the National Economic Council (NEC) Conference held at the Presidential Villa on Monday.
Shettima, also the Chairman of the Conference, said, “Across developed economies, the prevailing wisdom is no longer growth for its own sake, but growth that accommodates all and endures. Its philosophy underpins the global pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Our pathway to this reality lies in reinventing our strategies, harmonizing our visions across all tiers of government, and taking the decisive steps towards building a resilient and equitable economy. That is the purpose that has brought us here today.
“The post covid 19 world is one defined by the agency of overcoming excessive dependency. Every nation emerged from that period, not only bruised by social dislocation, but also resolved to confirm long-standing structural weaknesses at home.
“No one here will deny the sincerity of His Excellency, President Tinubu, who has honoured his promise to insulate the Nigerian economy in a world increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions and rising economic protectionism. 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. This is precisely why the National Economic Council remains the most suitable vehicle for delivering the promise of inclusive growth.
“Our mission, Your Excellencies, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, is incomplete if a child born in Lafia does not have the same chance of thriving 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.
“Your Excellencies, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the journey towards inclusive growth demands sustainable national development, development that balances expansion with equity, opportunity or responsibility and prosperity with environmental stewardship.
“It is no longer enough to measure progress by GDP figures alone; we must ask harder questions. How does growth transform lives? How does it uplift communities? How does it strengthen National Cohesion? As members of this council and leaders of our respective states, the weight of responsibility raised quietly on our shoulders, aside from being a policy advisory body to the president, NEC has remained the engine room for consensus building and coordinated action across the federal and sub-national governments.”
He continued: “This retreat presents a unique opportunity to onboard new governors and deepen our shared understanding of next role in shaping Nigeria’s economic destiny, to align federal and safe strategies with national development plan 2021 to 2025 and the Nigeria agenda, 2050, especially in poverty reduction, job creation and social protection, to strengthen collaboration across regions through practical frameworks for inter regional trade, investment and infrastructure, harnessing the comparative advantages of each geopolitical zone.
“To explore pathways for fiscal sustainability at both federal and sub-national levels, reforming the tax system and enhancing internally generated revenue without overburdening our people, and to ensure that next resolutions translate into legislative and executive action that delivers tangible outcomes at federal, state and community levels.”
Shettima stressed the need for inclusivity in governance, maintaining that: “Nigeria’s future will not be decided in Abuja alone. It will be shaped in our states, in our local communities and through the choices we make in fora such as this. This is why today calls for a renewed commitment to collaboration, pragmatism and shared responsibility.”
