Cynthia Ezegwu
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday presided over a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), its first since President Bola Tinubu renewed calls for the creation of state police to address worsening insecurity across the country.
The meeting began at about 11:30 a.m. when Shettima arrived at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja. Following the opening prayers led by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, participants moved into a closed-door session.
The NEC is a constitutional advisory body chaired by the vice president and comprising the 36 state governors, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and key ministers. While its primary mandate is to coordinate economic policy, the council often deliberates on wider governance and security challenges.
On Monday, during a meeting with a delegation of eminent citizens from Katsina State, President Tinubu restated his commitment to decentralising policing. “I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create a state police,” he told the delegates at the State House, Abuja.
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The president’s remarks have reignited debate on the contentious issue of state policing in Nigeria. Proponents argue that decentralisation is necessary to curb violent crime, kidnapping, and insurgency, while opponents warn of the risk of political abuse by state governors.
Thursday’s NEC meeting marked the first formal gathering of the governors since the president’s comments, raising expectations that the matter could feature in their deliberations.
As of the time of filing this report, the council was still in session.